In the Shadows (Hogwarts Years)
by CL-Avery
Summary: A story of a grumpy Slytherin tomboy with Death Eaters for family, huge crush on Sirius Black, and very little idea what to do about either. But that is not going to stop her. The story is a slowburn with plenty of adventure and romance, both good and bad. Updated regularly.
1. Chapter 1 (Summer from Hell)

The usual disclaimers apply. This is fan fiction and I do not claim to own the Harry Potter universe or any of the characters or places that appear in the original books.

This story covers Claudia Avery's Hogwarts years, from the fourth year onwards.

The story is packed with adventure and mystery from the get go. The romance is a real slowburn and nothing much happens on that front until about chapter sixteen and from then on, it is a bit of rollercoaster. Sirius is a big feature of this story from the start, but the other Marauders do not really appear until about chapter twenty-eight.

The sixth year is now done and the rest of the story is planned out and basically drafted. I have no intention of abandoning it and I will publish a new chapter every other week (unfortunately, my work schedule does not let me edit and proof-read any faster than that).

M-rated due to content in later chapters (and some coarse language).

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**Summer from Hell**

Claudia was standing alone on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere, her trunk at her feet. She was fuming. Her parents had decided that she needed straightening up and sent her to spend the summer with distant relatives in Bavaria. They took her wand. She will not be able to see any of her friends. Or write to them for that matter, she knew her father would have made sure of that. She will not be able to roam Hampstead Heath on hot summer days and hide in the shadows of the ancient trees, reading and looking at scores of muggles passing by.

A weak smirk flickered across her face. At least, she will not have to spend the summer in close quarters with her immediate family. Her father Frederic Avery may have been a severe man with too much pride and little affection for anyone, but at least he was easy to avoid. The same could not be said about Claudia's older brother Marcus and her mother Cassandra.

Felling a little better about her prospects, she picked up her heavy trunk and started dragging it towards a small chateau up ahead. The sun was burning on Claudia's skin, she was sweating, and her lungs were full of the dust from the road. The chateau was much further than it looked, and it took Claudia a good part of an hour to get there. She knocked on the heavy door.

The door was opened almost instantly by an old house-elf, who did not say a word and let her down a dark corridor towards the back of the house. It was cold and unwelcoming. The sun and heat of the outside world had quickly been forgotten. The sweat on Claudia's neck went ice cold and she began to shiver. The house-elf pointed towards an ajar door, wrenched Claudia's trunk out of her hand and left.

Claudia tentatively opened the door and entered. The room was large but dark and barely decorated. Before she could look around properly, she heard a coarse female voice.

"Are you the Avery squib? You've grown since I last saw you." Claudia turned around and saw her Great Aunt Jutta wearing a sour expression on her face. Claudia's stomach turned, she tried her best to forget that for her entire first year at Hogwarts, the rumour was that she was a squib.

"I'm not a squib, as you very well know." Claudia said defiantly, but before she could explain, Jutta cut her off.

"There will be no talking back in this house. Now go to you room and be down for dinner at five. Detlef will show you up." Jutta barked and returned to her paperwork. That was the end of the conversation.

The house-elf had appeared out of nowhere again, grabbed Claudia's hand and let her upstairs.

"Do you speak any English, Detlef?" Claudia asked hopefully, but the house-elf ignored her. "Great. This is going to be a long summer." She thought to herself.

Once in her room, Claudia slumped on the bed. The word 'squib' still ringing in her ears. She remembered her first year at Hogwarts. She was so excited to go, to get away from her parents. But from the first class, it was a complete disaster. She had to sit and watch her classmates getting better and better with spells, while she could barely produce any magic at all. She could hear her fellow students whispering and looking in her direction, smirking. She remembered her brother avoiding her out of sheer embarrassment.

It was not until Professor McGonagall suggested that Claudia takes a trip to Ollivanders to have her wand looked at that her fortunes improved. She smiled, closed her eyes and thought back to the trip to Diagon Alley during her first summer back from Hogwarts. It was one of her first truly happy memories.

She remembered the argument with her mother, who did not want to buy her a new wand. According to Claudia's parents, true wizards inherited wands from their ancestors. She remembered Mr Ollivander weighing her elm wand with unicorn hair core with great scepticism on his face. It turned out that elm wands, apparently, chose noble wizards with dignity and elegance. Even after two years, Claudia had to laugh at that. Dignity and elegance were not the qualities anyone would associate with her, ever.

She remembered the first time she closed her fingers around her new wand. The moment Claudia touched it, she knew that it was the one for her. It was plain and made from red-tinted cedar wood, with dragon heartstring core. According to Mr Ollivander, cedar wood was apparently suitable for wizards with strength of character and great perception. Claudia's heart jumped when he said that. To her, these things were lot more useful than dignity and elegance. School became so much better after that. Now – about to start her fourth year at Hogwarts – she was getting pretty good. The whispering had stopped.

Claudia reached for her wand but it was not there. It was locked in her parents' safe back in London. Claudia opened her eyes and sighed. She missed it already. She looked around the room. It was even barer than the sitting room, with just a bed, chair and a desk. She got up and walked around.

On the desk she found a piece of paper with a list entitled 'Rules' in her father's handwriting. Claudia skimmed it: _do as you are told, no letters to or from friends, no wandering around without permission, no books_.

"No books?!" Claudia growled, crunching the list in her hand. Suddenly, she froze. She ran towards her trunk, forced it open and rummaged through it. All the books she packed for her trip were gone. She threw her belongings across her room in anger and kicked the trunk.

She looked at the paper again and her heart sank even further. At the bottom of the page, in her mother's neat handwriting were the words "No flying". Her parents have gone too far. What was she supposed to do in this godforsaken hellhole for six weeks without her books or her broom? What about all the homework she was supposed to do?! Claudia paced her room angrily until dinner. She was seething.

When she got down to the dining room, her Aunt Jutta was already at the table. She did not look pleased to be kept waiting.

"Sit." She barked at Claudia. "In this house, we eat on time. If you are late again, you do not eat." She added, before gesturing angrily to the house-elf.

"You know why you are here, don't you?" Jutta asked, as she turned back to Claudia, with a hint of menace in her voice.

Claudia knew full well why she was there. Her parents did not like her friends or attitude to family traditions. But that in itself would not have been enough. The last straw was when she was playing some two-on-two Quidditch with her fellow Slytherins at the Black's garden party last week and crashed into their gazebo.

The gazebo was in pieces and so was Claudia. She tore her dress, sprained her ankle and had a bleeding gash on her arm. Her mother was furious. She dragged Claudia into a bathroom with such force that Claudia could still see the fingernail scratches on her arm. And her cheek was still burning from where her mother struck her. It was her mother's hypocrisy that annoyed Claudia the most. She was all smiles and put together in front of all her friends, but in private she could be very cruel. Nothing that Claudia did was ever right – her hair was too messy, her clothes all wrong, flying was not for girls. The list went on.

Claudia, however, had no particular desire to discuss any of this with someone she barely knew and did not particularly like. This did not deter Aunt Jutta, who picked up a piece of parchment. She frowned as her eyes run across the page.

"Disobeying your parents, embarrassing your family, fraternising with mudbloods." Jutta read.

Claudia squeezed the edge of the table until her knuckles went white – she hated when her parents called her friends names. She opened her mouth to protest but before she could say anything, her aunt flicked her wand.

"Silencio!" she said sharply and Claudia was left opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Jutta laughed and continued. "I warned you that there will be no talking back in this house. Now, your father sent some rules which are in your room. Your mother also wrote that you are not to fly but I don't agree. Physical strength is a foundation of a strong character. You may fly every day in the morning. My gardener's boys will lend you a broom and will go with you."

Claudia had to try very hard not to look too pleased. She had a feeling that if she did, Aunt Jutta might just change her mind.

"And in the afternoons, you will have lessons." Jutta continued.

"What lessons?" Claudia eyes narrowed. She wanted to ask but could not, she was still under the silencing charm. Jutta waved her wand again and Claudia felt her throat loosen. "I don't have my wand with me." She said sceptically. But Aunt Jutta said nothing. The dinner arrived and they ate it in silence.

"Can I go for a walk?" Asked Claudia, as she finished her meal. Jutta shook her head.

"Borrow some books?" Claudia added hopefully. Jutta gestured to a Detlef, who bowed and promptly left the room.

"He will bring some in your room. You may go now." She barked.

Claudia went back to her room. There was no point arguing. It was still too early to sleep though. She had no books, no wand, no quill and paper. She threw her scattered possessions into her trunk and collapsed on the bed. She stared at the ceiling, angry tears forming in her eyes. This was going to be the worse six weeks of her life. Soon after, the door opened and a small pile of books floated in and landed next to her, courtesy of Detlef.

She picked them up one by one. _Pure-Blood Directory: Annotated Edition_. Predictable. Claudia sighed and threw the book on the floor. _Die Geschichte der Eschelbach-Dynastie_. Her German stretched just about far enough to understand that this was a book about the history of her father's family. His mother, Aunt Jutta's sister, was from the old German pureblood Eschelbach family. She came to England as a young girl and ended up marrying her English grandfather. Disappointingly, there were no pictures in it. She threw it away too.

Claudia picked up the last book. Her eyes widened and she sat up. _Moste Potente Potions_. The poor house-elf probably had no idea what he brought her, just picked up a random book. Claudia was fairly talented in potions and knew full well that this book was locked firmly in the restricted section of the Hogwarts Library. And for a good reason. It contained instructions for many dangerous, controversial and rare potions. She flicked through the book. Amortentia, Death Potion, Drink of Despair, Felix Felicis… The list went on. She flicked through it over and over, plotting how to take it back to London with her, until she fell asleep still clutching it in her arms.

Claudia was woken up early by the sound of a cockerel in the courtyard that her room was overlooking. She got dressed and made her way downstairs. Detlef was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. He handed her a piece of dry bread and led her outside, towards one of the outbuildings. He knocked on the door and vanished. A boy, about Claudia's age stuck his head out.

"Are you here to pick up the broom?" He asked in broken English. Claudia nodded. "Wait. Me and my brother are supposed to show you." The boy said and disappeared.

When he emerged again, he was accompanied by a younger boy and was clutching three broomsticks in his hand.

"I'm Sebastian and this is Maximillian." He said, gesturing towards his brother.

Claudia raised her hand and waved at them awkwardly. "Claudia." She said quietly. She did not enjoy meeting new people. All she wanted was to get on that broom and fly.

"You know how to fly, girl?" Asked Sebastian with a smirk.

"I know how to fly." Claudia scoffed. She wrenched the broom out of Sebastian's hand, mounted it and kicked off the ground.

The boys joined her. They sped towards the foot of the nearby mountains. Suddenly, Sebastian stopped dead and pulled his broom into a sharp dive. Claudia followed him, she did not want to be shown up. They raced side by side and pulled out of the dive just few feet off the ground.

Sebastian gave her a broad smile. "You know how to fly. I was not expecting that from a girl from the big house." He said and they both laughed. They raced towards the forest, slalomed among the trees, and practised with a Quaffle that Maximillian brought with him. They flew back just before lunch, exhausted.

"We play Quidditch with other kids from the surrounding villages every Saturday. You should join our team. We could use a better chaser." Said Sebastian as they landed in the courtyard. Claudia could not have been happier at that suggestion. Flying made her forget everything else.

But her good mood did not last long. That afternoon was to be her first lesson. It was as terrible as she was expecting it to be. Aunt Jutta had hired a retired governess called Frau Ottenberg to teach Claudia German, etiquette and history – which Claudia knew to be more pure-blood propaganda than actual facts. She loved history, but what Frau Ottenberg was teaching her was utter garbage. She would have to apologise to Professor Binns when she got back to Hogwarts. She always though he was the worst history teacher in the world. But he had nothing on Frau Ottenberg.

Any sort of dissent or even a hint of sarcasm in these 'lessons' were met with a swift punishment. Usually in the form of a long pointer hitting Claudia across her knuckles. Occasionally, it took a form of a mild jinx. Claudia was furious, but there was little she could do about it. She was outnumbered and did not have her wand. The only saving grace of having to sit every afternoon listening to Frau Ottenberg's rubbish was that she managed to steal a quill, some ink and parchment, which she used to copy instructions from _Moste Potente Potions_ in the middle of the night.

And so her summer went. Flying, Quidditch, 'lessons' with Frau Ottenberg, mind-numbing dinners with Aunt Jutte, copying _Moste Potente Potions_... She contemplated flying away. But she did not really know where she was, she had no wand or money. But most of all, she did not want to give her parents the satisfaction. They were not going to break her.


	2. Chapter 2 (Back at Hogwarts)

**Back at Hogwarts**

Finally, came the last day of August and with it, time to go home. Claudia packed her things and said her goodbyes. Sebastian promised to write about the Quidditch league. Aunt Jutta barely looked up from her newspapers.

Claudia sat on her trunk in the courtyard, clutching the portkey in her hand, waiting for the clock on the clocktower to strike ten. That was when her father arranged for the portkey to leave. It finally did.

The portkey stopped spinning and Claudia landed in the garden of her family home in Hampstead. She saw her father in the window of his study, checking his pocket watch and then disappearing back behind the curtain.

"Welcome home." Claudia muttered to herself. She just needed to survive one evening, she was going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. Just one more evening.

Claudia saw her mother open the back door and run towards her with tears in her eyes.

"I've missed you, my dear." She hugged and kissed Claudia. Claudia bit her lip. She hated her mother's hypocrisy. But if she just managed to keep her mouth shut and temper under control for one evening, she would be in Hogwarts. Think of Hogwarts. She kept repeating to herself.

Claudia managed to hide in her room until dinner. She perused her new Hogwarts books, noticing that her muggle studies book was missing and replaced by a divination book. Her family hated that she took muggle studies and her mother was personally offended that Claudia was not taking divination.

Divination was Cassandra's favourite subject at school, she would love to read cards and analyse dreams with her daughter. Claudia scoffed in disgust at the thought of that and threw the divination book into the bottom of her wardrobe.

She will just need to speak to Professor Slughorn to explain that she was not dropping muggle studies and get that book in Hogsmeade.

She took a deep breath. She will not bring it up at dinner. If she can just keep her cool tonight, she might even get some pocket money. Determined, she started on homework. She will have to spend the night and whole journey to Hogwarts catching up on what she was meant to do over the summer.

By a stroke of luck, couple of Marcus' friends were staying over. This made dinner much more bearable, as Claudia could simply eat submerged in her own thoughts, while the others made small talk. She left dinner early to continue with her homework. Her mother did not approve but did not dare to cause a scene in front of strangers.

Back in her room, Claudia yawned as she moved yet another essay on the completed pile. She needed some coffee if she had any hope of finishing even half of her homework in time. As she made her way down to the kitchen, she heard her father's voice coming out of the study. She stopped in her tracks, hid behind the door and listened intently.

"I need you to keep an eye on your sister, Marcus. I want to know who she spends her time with and what she gets up to." Frederick said severely. Marcus did not say anything but her father continued. "There is another thing I need you to do for the sake of the family and our kind. Shut the door."

Claudia dived behind the coat-rack. She did not want them to know she was listening. She waited for a minute and then snuck back up to her room. She did not dare loiter by the door or continue to the kitchen.

She expected he brother to spy on her in Hogwarts but what could he idiot brother possibly do for the sake of wizardkind?

Marcus was two years above Claudia in Hogwarts. He was not the brightest students. It was a source of great annoyance to their father that Claudia was much brighter than his son and heir. However, what Marcus lacked academically he made up for on the Quidditch pitch and especially in popularity. In Slytherin, where both Marcus and Claudia were sorted to, Marcus was adored. It was a different story with students from other houses, who Marcus and his gang bullied constantly.

Claudia just about manged to stop herself thinking about her brother and her father's mysterious instructions. She tried to continue with her homework. But she could not stop thinking of Hogwarts, her friends, the Qudditch pitch, the library… She fell asleep, exhausted, on top of her Charms essay.

The following morning was hectic. Trunks and packages everywhere. The stressed house-elf was running around, trying to fit everything into the family car. Claudia's mother was in tears, lashing out at everyone who stepped out of line.

At the Platform 9¾, Claudia stood rigid while her mother hugged her, she made a hollow promise to write regularly (she never did), and – with a sigh of relief – climbed onto the Hogwarts Express. She found an empty compartment, threw her bag into the corner and sat down with a thud. She has never been this happy to be going away.

Few minutes later, Claudia's best friend Alice Adler burst into the compartment.

"What the hell happened to you? Where have you been all summer?" She asked, sounding almost angry.

Claudia stood up and without a word hugged Alice. Alice was clearly taken back by this.

"You hug people now? This must be bad." She said and forced Claudia to sit down. "Tell me what's going on!"

"My parents sent me away for the whole summer. I got locked up in an enormous manor with my great aunt in Bavaria." Claudia explained.

Alice looked perplexed. She was a great friend but did not understand Claudia's relationship with her parents, as her parents were unusually loving and kind. Well, at least it seemed unusual to Claudia.

"Why would they do that?" Alice asked.

"Because they can." Claudia shrugged. "They felt that I needed reminding what is expected from me… Their latest attempt to change me for the better."

"Well, I hope it didn't work." Alice said, her eyes twinkling.

"Well, it bloody well did not." Claudia laughed. She could finally relax.

Well, at least until she remembered the amount of homework she still needed to do. Luckily, Claudia's other friends – Pauline, Lucy and Eleanor – joined them, took mercy on Claudia and helped her out a bit. Alice, who was a year above Claudia in Hogwarts, has also pitched in. With their help, Claudia was nearly done with her homework by the time the Hogwarts Expressed pulled into Hogsmeade Station.

Pauline, Lucy, Eleanor and Alice were the friends that Claudia's parent did not approve of. Lucy and Eleanor were both muggle-born and while Pauline and Alice were from wizarding families, they were not families that her parents saw eye to eye with. Pauline's parents owned a publishing company and Alice's dad was an auror.

Unfortunately for Claudia, none of her friends were in Slytherin – Lucy and Pauline were as Ravenclaw as they get, Eleanor was in Hufflepuff and Alice in Gryffindor. So, as they entered the Great Hall, Claudia had to say goodbye to them all and go sit at the Slytherin table. There were not many people in Slytherin house that she was on friendly terms with.

As she approached the table, she saw the other Slytherin girls in her year huddled together. They were all very pretty and acted as if there was nothing more important in the world. They also bullied Claudia mercilessly for the first couple years. She hated them even more now because they all started to be overly sweet to her. They all wanted her help to get closer to Marcus. Claudia was hoping that now that it was clear to everyone that her and Marcus barely spoke, they would finally leave her alone.

She hated these girls. They were shallow, just like her mother, and all they ever talked about were boys. Deep down Claudia knew, however, that she was also little jealous of them. She was quite plain looking with her mousy hair and a nose just bit too large for her face. She never had a boy being interested in her. No-one ever offered to carry her books or sent her a Valentine card. She had boys for friends, but they just did not see her that way.

There were two boys in her year in particular – Julius Nott and Emmanuel Callahan – who Claudia was friends with, as they were not part of her brother's gang. She saw them at the Slytherin table sitting with Regulus Black, who was a quiet boy one year below Claudia.

She walked over to them and sat down next to Emmanuel. It was these three that Claudia played the fateful game of two-on-two Quidditch that landed her in the Bavarian exile.

"How's the gazebo, Regulus?" Asked Claudia, jokingly.

Regulus did not answer. He was very distracted and keep looking towards his older brother Sirius, who was at the Gryffindor table talking and laughing with his friends.

"Regulus! "Snap out of it." Barked Julius.

Regulus looked at them, confused. "What is it?" He asked.

"Would you stop obsessing about your brother?" Emmanuel pitched in, clearly quite annoyed.

Regulus looked like he was about to protest, but Julius continued. "He isn't interested in being your friend. We are. But our patience is wearing thin."

"Sorry." Regulus said, looking down at the table. "I really thought that being at Hogwarts together will bring us closer. I always knew he hated our parents. But didn't quite realise how much he hated me."

Claudia put her hand on Regulus' shoulder. "It really isn't worth it. Look at me and Marcus. We barely speak when we are in Hogwarts." She tried to reassure him.

Regulus grimaced. "I don't get it. I like your brother." He said grimly.

"Well. He's sitting right there." Emmanuel was really angry now. "Go and talk to him. It's clear that you much rather do that than hang around with us." He added.

Regulus scoffed and turned away.

"We really are a bunch of losers. So pathetic, even Regulus won't be seen talking to us." Julius quipped, chuckling.

"Oh, come on." Claudia rolled her eyes. "Would you rather run around the castle with my brother jinxing muggle-born students?"

All three of them looked at her longingly but did not say a word.

"On a second through, don't answer that." Claudia frowned. She was glad to have some friends in Slytherin, but sometimes worried if Emmanuel and Julius would join her brother's gang if given half the chance.

The first few weeks of school went extremely fast. It was finally time for the one thing that Claudia was losing sleep over ever since she stepped off the Hogwarts Express – the Quidditch try-outs.

"Wait for me!" Shouted Claudia at Emmanuel and Julius, when she saw them leaving the Great Hall at breakfast. "I'm coming with you."

They looked puzzled.

"Coming with us to the Quidditch try outs? To mock us, I suppose?" Laughed Emmanuel.

Claudia went red and lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Well, I thought I might try out to this year." She said quietly. She looked up expecting a response, but instead Julius and Emmanuel were both starring into space behind her. She turned and saw her brother.

"Good luck, bloodtraitor." He sniggered and walked past her without another word.

The try-outs went by very quickly. Claudia barely remembered what happened. Before she knew it, the team were waiting for the captain's announcement.

"You flew alright." Julius said, leaning over to her.

Claudia was still out of breath, so merely nodded. She felt good.

Julius, who was trying out for keeper did alright too. Emmanuel, on the other hand, dropped the Quaffle every time he tried to touch it and looked on the verge of tears. Marcus was standing at the front of the group, smiling confidently.

The wait was finally over. Archibald Parkinson, a tall sixth year, emerged from the captain's office and rolled out a small piece of parchment. He cleared his throat. Everyone suddenly fell very silent.

"Seeker - Macmillan. Keeper - Nott." Parkinson began. Claudia poked Julius with her elbow and have him an encouraging smile.

"Beaters - Cameron and Burke. Chasers - Parkinson, Crabbe and Avery." Marcus punched the air in triumph and high-fived Macmillan.

"Sorry, should have said." Continued Parkinson. "Claudia Avery."

Claudia looked up first at Parkinson, then at her brother.

Marcus bit his lip and gone completely red in the face. He pushed a bunch of second years out of the way and stormed off the pitch.

Claudia watched him, completely frozen. She still could not believe it. She made it onto the Quidditch team!

Julius put his arm around Claudia's shoulders and squeezed her tight. She knew that at least he was happy for her.

"OK." Continued Parkinson. "Practice tomorrow at six, don't be late."

Having spent a good hour servicing her broom and altering her new Qudditch robes, Claudia walked out of the changing rooms and begin making her way back to the castle. It still had not sunk in. Marcus has mocked her since her first year, laughing at her for even trying to get on the team. Who is laughing now?! She thought to herself. Then she remembered her parents. Her mother was going to explode with rage. Qudditch is for boys! She could practically hear her say. She could not wait to tell her.

"How dare you!" Claudia's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by what was unmistakably her brother's angry voice. "You have ruined everything, you filthy little blood traitor! Mixing with mudbloods, embarrassing our family, and now this?" Marcus screamed at her.

He took out his wand and pointed it straight at his sister's face. Claudia look at him defiantly.

"You are pathetic. I beat you fair and square." Claudia said. "And for the record, if anyone is an embarrassment, it's you and your cronies. Bunch of stupid bullies. Just path..." Claudia began to say.

But she did not finish that sentence. Marcus threw a jinx in her direction, causing her to fly backwards and land heavily in a puddle of mud.

"If that make you feel better." She said, sarcastically and got up, brushing dirt off her robes.

Marcus looked like he is about to throw another curse, but before he could, his wand flew right from his hand.

Claudia turned around to see who had disarmed Marcus and was astonished to see Regulus' older brother Sirius. She did not know who she as expecting, but she was not expecting him.

"Go and pick on someone else. Preferable your own size." Sirius said casually, putting Marcus's wand into his pocket. He looked rather pleased with himself. "You will get it back later if you behave. Now bugger off." He added.

Marcus hesitated for a bit. It looked like he was considering whether to punch Sirius' face out. He was much bigger and if they fought without magic, Marcus would send Sirius to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Alas, Sirius now had two wands and Marcus had none. Marcus decided that it was not worth it.

"You haven't heard the end of this, I promise you." Marcus hissed at Claudia, turned on his heel and stomped off to the castle.

Claudia stared at Sirius. She had no idea what he was doing there. They have never spoken more than few words outside class. And for a good reason.

Claudia remembered when she met Sirius on their first journey on the Hogwarts Express. Her mother practically pushed her into the compartment when Sirius was sitting, desperate for them to become friends. He was sitting with his feet up on the seat, stretched across half the carriage. He was making very small pieces of paper burn with his wand and looked very bored. Claudia has barely had time to introduce herself, before Sirius said he has no interest sitting with anyone like her and walked off. She pushed that particular memory out of her mind and regained her composure.

"That was unusually measured, you know, for you." Claudia smirked, as she continued to brush the mud off her clothes. This made Sirius chuckle.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes… Well, apart from having the worst family on the planet." Said Claudia. "I guess you gathered that I just got on the Quidditch team instead of him. And he is NOT taking it well." She added.

"You got better at flying then? Since you crashed into our gazebo?" Sirius asked, barely suppressing a laugh.

"I didn't know you saw that." Claudia said, mildly embarrassed.

"Everybody saw that. It caused a huge scandal." He replied. He was laughing openly now.

They began walking back to the castle. Suddenly, a little frown had appeared on Sirius' forehead.

"I bet you're glad to be back in Hogwarts." He said, pausing briefly. "I wasn't meant to eavesdrop, but I also overheard the argument with your mother."

Claudia went bright red, she knew exactly which 'argument' Sirius was referring to. It was the sort of argument that left her with a bruise or two.

Claudia was used to her mother's behaviour by now but did not want other people to know that she was not strong enough to stand up for herself.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." Sirius mumbled, clearly noticing Claudia's discomfort. "If it's any consolation, my mother is very much like that too." He added.

Claudia gave him a brief smile. "Constantly disappointed? Or outright cruel?" She asked sourly.

"Disappointed? In you?" Sirius asked. "You've got good grades and now are a fourth year on a house team. They should have me for a son to taste some real disappointment." He added, a smile returning to his face.

"These are the things that my brother is supposed to do." Claudia shrugged. "I'm supposed to look pretty and find a rich, pure-blood boyfriend." She continued, mimicking her mother's voice.

"Ah." Sirius said with a twinkle in his eye. "Shame you weren't around much this summer. Would have been nice to finally have a kindred spirit at these ridiculous gatherings. Arguing with the pure-blood brigade all alone is getting tiring."

"I think that's exactly what my parents were worried about." Claudia laughed. "They sent me to Germany to remind me what's expected from me."

Claudia and Sirius spent the rest of the walk discussing Claudia's summer. It was refreshing to finally meet someone who understood how she felt about her family. He understood her frustrations, but also the pressure that came with her upbringing. And even though they did not get to talk about his family much, she got the sense that he understood what it was like to dislike and fear your parents in equal measure.

"See you around Avery." Said Sirius, as they went through the door to the Great Hall. "I'd say good luck in your game, but it's against Gryffindor and James would kill me if he ever found out."

It took Claudia a while to realise what Sirius was talking about – his best friend James Potter must have been in with a chance of making the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The fact that she was on the Slytherin Quidditch team really had not sunk in yet.

"Bye. And watch out for my brother. He's unlikely to let this go." Claudia whispered as they parted ways.


	3. Chapter 3 (Marcus' Mission)

**Marcus' Mission**

About a week after the Quidditch try-outs, Claudia was sitting at her usual desk in the library. She liked it because it was well hidden and solitary. She has learned to embrace loneliness in her childhood and first year in Hogwarts, when no one talked to her. And even though she now had friends, she still enjoyed it.

But she could not focus on her reading this time. Her mind settled back on the conversation she overheard between her father and Marcus at the end of the summer.

Her father worked at the Ministry of Magic, at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Claudia was not exactly sure what he did, but it seemed to involve lot of parties with foreign dignitaries and schmoozing. None of it seemed particularly secret, or frankly important. She knew nothing of her father's childhood or his time at Hogwarts.

Suddenly, she had a thought. She stood up and walked over to the librarian's desk.

"Madame Pince?" Claudia asked. "I wanted to look up my mum and dad." She nearly choked. She had not called her parents 'mum' and 'dad' for years. But she needed to sound casual, so she continued. "Does the library hold student records?"

Madame Pince measure her, she had not reason to suspect anything. Claudia was a model student and apart from an occasional academic argument with fellow students, she was never in trouble.

"Aisle U, bottom shelf." Said Madame Pince, finally and returned to her filing.

Claudia searched the shelf. He father was born in 1927, so he would have gone to Hogwarts from 1938 to 1945. She found the relevant volume. The book was heavy and dusty, she laid it open on the floor and looked for the relevant page. 1936, 1937, 1938… There he was, listed under Slytherin House – Frederick Alfred Avery.

Couple other names on the list caught her eye. Further down the page in her father's year was Rabanus Tiberius Lestrange – she knew his sons Rabastan and Rudolphus. They could not have been long out of Hogwarts when she started here. She remembered Marcus being quite besotted with them. A year above them, also in Slytherin, was Walburga Violetta Black, Regulus' mother. She recognised most of the names on the page – Bulstrode, Rosier, Nott. Must be the uncle that she heard Julius mention, as his dad was much younger.

But there were also a couple of names that she did not recognise. One made her giggle. One of the Slytherins in her father's year was called Tom Marvolo Riddle, even by wizarding standards that was a weird middle name.

Claudia flipped few pages back and forth looking for anything unusual, but she could not see anything. She sighed and shut the book in frustration. She was not sure what she was expecting to find. The fact that Slytherin was full of pure-bloods in her father's day was hardly surprising.

She looked at her watch. Double potions class were starting in ten minutes. She needed to get down the dungeon, Professor Slughorn did not tolerate lateness. Well, at least not from Claudia.

He had his favourites and she was not one of them. She never understood why. She was good at potions after all. Her suspicion was that it could be because of Marcus. Slughorn did not seem to like him much either. Or could it be that he was at Hogwarts when her parents attended? If he was, he could tell her more about her father. Maybe she did not hit a dead end after all.

Claudia spent most of her potion class wondering how to approach the subject of her father with Professor Slughorn. She was so distracted that she misjudged the amount of lavender in her Calming Draught, which was now splattering and emitting a foul smell.

Professor Slughorn approached her table and shook his head.

"Too much lavender, Avery." He said, frowning.

Claudia saw her opportunity. She faked a laugh.

"Sorry, Professor. I was just trying a tip that my father gave me in the summer." She said, watching Slughorn's face intently. Just for the briefest of moments, she noticed that a shadow travelled across the Potionmaster's face.

"You'll do better if you don't follow in your father's footsteps." He said abruptly. Before Claudia could say anything else, Slughorn turned away and was half was across the classroom.

Claudia kept a close eye on him for the rest of the class. He kept looking at her. But every time she made eye-contact, he turned away. He knew something, she was sure of it. But she was also pretty sure that he was not going to tell her. She will need to find another way.

Claudia spent the next couple of days looking around Hogwarts for more clues about her father. She checked the trophy cabinets, nothing. Spoke to the house-elf cleaning the Slytherin common room, nothing. She even searched all the hidden places where students left messages and little graffiti but could not find anything of interest. She even summoned enough courage to ask the Bloody Baron – the terrifying Slytherin house ghost – but could not find him anywhere.

She was beginning to give up. She dragged herself back to the library to work on her muggle studies essay. It was late and she was tired. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw Sirius' face smiling at her.

"You know the term has just started, right?" He asked.

Claudia looked at her watch, it was late. She must have fallen asleep. The library was deserted and completely quiet.

"It's this stupid muggle studies essay on electricity. I can't get my head around the way it's transported." She sighed.

"You aren't the only one." Replied Sirius. "Sometimes I feel like we're in a bit of a disadvantage. All the other kids in that class are at least half-bloods." He added.

He sat down, grabbed the textbook and began reading it with a slight frown.

Suddenly, Claudia heard the door creak and her brother's voice began to carry around the room.

"Go and check that no one else is here." He said, presumably to one of his cronies.

Claudia jumped up. She shoved her things in her bag and squeezed herself in the gap between the wall and the bookshelf. She gestured at Sirius to do the same.

"I'm not scared of him. I'm sure the two of us could take him." He whispered, lazily but barely moved. Claudia grabbed his arm and dragged him into the gap.

"Shut up. I want to listen." She whispered urgently.

"But do you know what it looks like?" Asked one of Marcus' cronies. They were out of sight but not out of earshot.

"All my father told me is that I should start with a book about the inferiori, or something." Marcus growled.

Sirius looked like he was about to burst into laughter, but Claudia put her hand over his mouth and looked at him menacingly. Now was not the time.

They could hear them ruffling through bookshelves.

"It might be in the restricted section." Someone finally said.

"Well, we aren't going to get in today." They could hear Marcus sigh. "Pince is guarding it like a hawk. Let's ask Slughorn for a permission slip after potions on Thursday." He added.

Claudia heard the door to the library close.

"_Inferiori_?" Sirius asked, suppressing a laugh.

"He's so thick." Claudia shook her head. "Can't believable that we're actually related."

Sirius laughed. But Claudia wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Whatever it is he's looking for, I need to find it first... But there's no way I'll get a permission slip into the restricted section. Not in fourth year." She said with a sigh.

Sirius looked at her for a long time, as if he was trying to get the measure of her.

"If you let me help you, you will not need a permission slip." He said, finally.

Claudia's eyes narrowed. She never broke school rules before. Sirius could see the hesitation on her face and elbowed her.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun." He said, suddenly looking very excited.

Claudia thought about it. Inferi were dangerous creatures, she knew that. She had no idea why Marcus would be looking into them. She needed to know what he was up to. Sirius was looking at her expectantly. She took a deep breath.

"Fine. Tomorrow night?" She asked.

Sirius nodded, with a huge smile on his face. "Leave the detail to me. I'll see you back here tomorrow at seven."

They waited few more minutes to make sure the coast was clear, before sneaking out of the library and returning to their respective common rooms.

Claudia was not able to concentrate on anything the next day. Not her lessons not her food. She almost chewed her finger nails off.

Finally, she was sitting in a nearly empty library with Sirius. The tricky muggle studies essay proved to be a good cover for why they were there together. Sirius was actually pretty smart. It was not what she was expecting.

Claudia was scribbling furiously when Sirius suddenly grabbed hold of her hand and leaned over.

"Don't be alarmed, but Madame Pince is looking at us suspiciously. I don't think she's ever seen me here two days in a row this late actually studying." He whispered in her ear.

Claudia giggled. Sirius moved his face closer to hers. She heard Madame Pince clear her throat with clear disapproval.

"I think that's worked." Sirius says with a grin.

"This is not the first time you're here late not studying, is it?" Claudia asked with a smirk.

Sirius laughed and shook his head. "Let's move, before she throws us out."

He stood up, grabbed Claudia's hand and led her towards the exit from the library. But instead of leaving, he took a turn inside one of the narrow aisles, pulled out a cloak from his bag and threw it over the both of them.

"Invisibility cloak." He whispered before putting a finger across his lips to signal that now was not the time for questions.

They sat under the cloak for good half an hour, before Madame Pince extinguished the lights and locked the library door behind her.

They climbed over the rope to the restricted section and began to search the shelves. There were many rare books, but none directly about the inferi. Claudia was just examining a copy of _Magick Moste Evile_, when she heard Sirius hiss. She found him in the neighbouring aisle, holding a copy of _The Nightshade Guide to Necromancy_.

"This could be it." He said. He held the book close to his eyes, scanning the content. "There is a whole section on creating the inferi and one on controlling them."

Claudia took the book from his hand and begin skimming it.

"I can't read it all now. How long do you recon before Madame Pince notices it's gone?" She asked.

"I borrowed a book a year ago and she still hasn't noticed." Sirius replied.

Claudia shook her head, faking disapproval, and put the book in her robes.

Sirius walked her to the dungeons under the invisibility cloak. It was safer that one. If she got caught out of bed after curfew, there would be a lot of questions to answer.

"Where did you get that cloak?" Claudia finally remembered to ask.

"Secret, sorry." Sirius whispered. "Want me to keep the book? I can hide it somewhere your brother won't find it." He added quickly, to change the subject.

Claudia shook her head. She wanted to keep the book close to her. She needed to study it. She was glad that she got to the book before Marcus did, but was still struggling to understand what exactly he meant to do with it.

The following day, Claudia found herself looking through the student records again. She was not sure why. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Alice approaching. She was glad to see her, but also felt bit guilty.

Alice was her best friend, but Claudia did not yet tell her what she overheard in the summer. Or about her trip to the restricted section. She knew Alice would say things that Claudia did not want to hear. She always did. The most annoying thing was, she was usually right.

"What's that?" Alice asked, pointing at the school records and sitting down next to Claudia.

"I'm just looking into my father's time at Hogwarts." Claudia replied. She threw the book on the ground. It landed with a thud. "He's up to something and it's been bothering me."

Alice picked up the book and began to read. She stopped suddenly and looked at Claudia. She went very pale.

"What is it?" Asked Claudia, her eyes wide. Alice pointed – her hands shaking – at the name Claudia found so funny few weeks ago, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"That's You-Know-Who." Alice whispered.

Claudia starred at the book in disbelief, then she looked at Alice.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"My dad was in Hogwarts at a similar time. He told me." Alice replied in a barely audible whisper.

Claudia was shaken. Her mind was racing… Her father was in the same year as You-Know-Who. Were they friends in Hogwarts? Is that what Slughorn meant when he spoke about her father's footsteps? Is that why her father wanted information on the inferi? To give to You-Know-Who?

"Alice, there's something I didn't tell you…" Claudia began to say. "At the end of summer, I overheard my father giving Marcus some sort of instructions. I've been following him. It looks like he's interested in the inferi. You don't think they could be working on You-Know-Who's instructions?" She asked, he hands shaking ever so slightly.

Alice's face hardened. She was back to her composed self.

"Can't be. Your brother is just a kid. How could he be working for You-Know-Who?" Alice replied and then paused. She was weighing her words carefully. "Claudia, promise me that you won't do anything silly. Your brother is a thug and sniffing around would be dangerous."

Claudia begin to protest, but Alice cut her off. "Promise me!" She said, with urgency that took Claudia by surprise.

"Fine." Said Claudia through gritted teeth. She, of course, had no intention of letting this go but knew better than to argue with Alice. There were some things she just did not understand.


	4. Chapter 4 (Quid Pro Quo)

**Quid Pro Quo**

Claudia was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was the first Quidditch game of the season. Slytherin was playing Gryffindor. She should have been excited. She should have been nervous. Instead, she could not stop thinking about the idea that her father might be in league with You-Know-Who.

Marcus did not seem to be up to much lately. She was pretty sure he was still searching the library for the necromancy book. What he did not know was that it was safely stowed in the hidden compartment of Claudia's trunk.

The fact that nobody else knew the full story did not help her sleep either, but she was not quite ready to admit that to herself. Anyway, who could she talk to about this?

Alice would discourage her from looking into it. She definitely would not skulk around the library with her.

Julius and Emmanuel were out of the question. She was too afraid to ask them where they really stood on the matter of You-Know-Who.

And she has only just met Sirius properly and had real trouble understanding why he was helping her.

She mostly new Sirius by reputation from Regulus. He was desperate for his big brother to like him but because he was failing at it miserably, he spent quite a lot of time venting about him – his brother was selfish, arrogant, stubborn, and always up to no good.

Claudia sort of saw where Regulus was coming from. Sirius and his friends seemed to spend a lot of their time torturing students they did not like, especially her fellow Slytherins. Even in class, Sirius was full of himself and never respectful of others' opinions or authority. She laughed to herself – that was a flaw that she could only criticise with levels of hypocrisy that no human was capable of.

There was also the small matter of Sirius being one of the most popular boys in school. There were literally dozens of girls lining up to spend time with him. And every boy wanted to be his friend. She knew at least three girls that were under the impression that he was their boyfriend, only to find him snogging someone else. The bathrooms were full of _I *heart* Sirius Black graffiti_. He was not exactly in need of company.

But she also saw a new side to him over the last few weeks. He was smart. He could be kind. But most importantly, she felt that he understood her. That there was some kind of unspoken bond between them.

But could she really trust him? How would he react if he found out what sort of company Claudia's father kept? Would he tell the whole school or perhaps…

Claudia's mind stopped racing. What if it all was just some elaborate prank to him? What if he was just helping her so that he and his friends can have a good laugh about it later?

No, for now, she was all alone in this and she was scared.

As she walked into the Great Hall the next morning, the Slytherin table cheered. With everything else on her mind, she Claudia had completely forgotten about all the little traditions of a Quidditch matchday.

There were seats reserved for the team at the very front of the table. There was an enormous stuffed snake lying in the middle of the table, enchanted to hiss at any passing Gryffindor. At least Claudia hoped it was enchanted, she hated snakes. The Sorting Hat must have had a great laugh putting her to Slytherin.

Some of her teammates were already at breakfast, all wearing matching sweaters. Julius was one of them. He waved at her and pointed at a free chair. It had a sweater hanging over the top of it, with Avery embroidered at the back just above a huge number six. That was Marcus' number too, Claudia thought to herself.

She looked around but could not see her brother anywhere. He must be seething. Quidditch was the only thing that he used to be better at than his little sister.

Parkinson handed her the Gryffindor starting line-up.

"They've gone with experience over talent this year. I really thought that they might give Potter a chance." He said, before adding. "Prove them wrong, Avery."

Claudia stomach took a turn. She was too busy thinking about You-Know-Who to really appreciate the enormity of what she was about to do.

She always liked flying and was a good chaser, she knew that. But she was a just a fourth year! Never even been a reserve player.

She was also uncomfortable with spotlight and flying in front of the whole school was daunting. And she knew that Marcus would be watching and cheering every minor mistake she made. Her stomach took another turn.

She must have gone quite pale, as Anthony Cameron – one of the beaters on the team – has put his arm around her.

"You OK?" He asked.

"I will be. Once we get out there." Claudia sighed.

She looked at Anthony and smiled. He was little older than Claudia and different from the other Slytherins. For a start, he was not in her brother's gang. But he was also friendly with everyone and kind. You could always see him encouraging those who needed it the most or helping his younger brother Chris with homework. He was also very handsome. People called him the 'Slytherin's resident Hufflepuff' – some of them even meant it as a compliment.

Claudia was not brought up to appreciate kindness but, in this instance, she was grateful for it.

Mercifully, Claudia's nerves disappear the moment she got the quaffle in her hands for the first time. All her other troubles were forgotten too. Quidditch was a fast game, there was not time to focus on anything else.

She gave a decent performance. She made no major blunders and scored a couple of very decent goals too. Macmillan caught the snitch from under the Gryffindor seeker's nose and Slytherin had their first victory.

"Really solid debut, Avery." Said Parkinson as they left the field. "I took a bit of a risk on you, leaving Marcus off the team. But you did good."

Anthony gave her a thumbs up. "Well done." He said with a huge smile. Claudia beamed back at him. She had not been this happy for a long time.

At the party that evening, Claudia felt like a real part of Slytherin for the first time. People who never spoken to her were coming up to her with congratulations. All of her roommates' crushes were treating her like a friend. She even got a pat on the back from some of her brothers' old friends.

She experienced something she never felt before; she was enjoying the limelight. She was also enjoying her brother's misery. She was not exactly proud of herself for feeling like that, but she could not help it.

Claudia scanned the common room to see where Marcus was. She spotted him sitting in the corner of the common room, with two of his closest friends. Marcus' friends were engaging in what looked like an animated debate, but Marcus himself did not participate. He was leaning back in his armchair, staring into space.

Claudia noticed that something sudden caught Marcus' eye. She followed his gaze and saw Severus Snape leaving the common room. Severus was a weird boy from Claudia's year. He was always buried in some book about the dark arts or covered in the most bizarre of potions ingredients. As far as she could tell, he had no friends at all.

Marcus stood up and implored his friends to follow him. They all followed Severus out of the common room.

Claudia looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed them. She put down her drink, checked she had her wand and carefully went after them.

Marcus caught up with Severus before he had a chance to reach the steps up from the dungeon. Claudia hid in a dark alcove and listened carefully.

"What books are there on the _inferiori_, Severus?" Asked Marcus.

Severus stared at him, amused.

"Do you mean the inferi?" He replied in a snarky tone.

Marcus shifted uncomfortably and nodded. He was clearly desperate and needed Severus' help. Otherwise he would not have tolerated such disrespect.

"They don't come up till the seventh year. What are you up to?" Severus continued.

Marcus was struggling to control his temper.

"It's a special project. Now will you tell me or not?" He hissed.

Severus folded his arms and look defiantly at Marcus. He was staring at him for some time.

"I will help you." Severus said finally. "But I want in. On whatever special project you are working on."

Marcus looked knowingly at his cronies. Then, he looked again at Severus.

"Fine." He hissed. "Tell me about the book and I'll fill you in on the rest."

They looked like they were going to move back in the direction of the common room. Claudia did not dare loiter any longer.

She run back as fast as she could and went straight to bed. This was one of the most draining days she has ever had. She would have to think about Marcus tomorrow again.

She did not even manage to undress properly before passing out in her bed.

The next week was just a blur. Claudia had to catch up with all the schoolwork she missed when practices ramped up ahead of the Gryffindor game. She was also beginning to find the attention of her fellow Slytherins, and associated social interactions, quite tiring.

Before she knew it, the weekend has arrived and with it the first trip to Hogsmeade. As she sat down with Alice and Eleanor around a table in the Three Broomsticks, she finally felt like she could relax again.

The weather was miserable, and the pub was absolutely packed. Suddenly, Claudia saw Anthony's head emerged from the crowd.

"Can I grab the spare chair? I keep giving mine away and now have a cramp." He said with a smile.

"Sure." Replied Claudia, with a giggle.

Anthony picked up the chair and begin to disappear into the crowd.

"Bye." Said Claudia, giving him an awkward wave.

She turned back to the table, her cheeks burning. Alice looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

"Finally." Alice said, absolutely beaming.

"Finally what?" Asked Claudia, miffed.

"Finally, you have a crush on someone." Replied Alice. Finally, I can talk to my best friend about boys."

Claudia opened her mouth to deny it, but realised it was pointless. Alice was right. Instead, she buried her face in a glass of pumpkin juice.

Mercifully, Lucy joined them at that point. They spent the next hour talking about the latest exploits of their utterly hopeless Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

As they were about to head back to the castle, Claudia spotted Sirius at the bar waving her over.

"Go back without me." She said to Alice and the others.

"You two are friends?" Asked Alice, who also spotted Sirius, with a hint of surprise in her voice. Even though she was a year above Claudia, she was in Gryffindor and knew full well what Sirius was like.

"Just a muggle studies project." Replied Claudia. "And I need to pop into Spintwitches for broom clippers anyway." She added when Alice did not look convinced. That seemed to have done the trick.

"Fancy another butterbeer?" Sirius asked as Claudia managed to fight her way to the bar.

"Hate that stuff." Claudia shook her head. "Way too sweet."

She looked around. "How come you're here alone? Isn't there normally a line of girls dying to keep you company?" She asked tongue-in-cheek.

"Well…" Sirius ruffled his hair. "As a matter of fact, my date just went to the bathroom." He said looking mildly embarrassed. "I was kind of hoping that you'll help me get rid of her." He added.

"You've got to be joking. No way." She whispered.

People were not her area of expertise.

"Come on Avery. You owe me one." Sirius whispered back.

"Fine." Claudia sighed. "What do you want me to do?" She asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Your lot are supposed to be the resourceful ones. Figure something out." He said quickly, looking somewhat anxiously towards the bathroom door.

Claudia looked too. A pretty girl was approaching them. Claudia did not recognise her. She looked older.

"I've heard so much about you. You must be Nina." Claudia smiled at the girl, extending her arm. The girl froze and frowned.

"Stella, actually." She replied, giving Claudia a nasty look.

"Really sorry, it's bit hard for me to keep up sometimes." Claudia giggled, pretended to be embarrassed. "It's like a revolving door…" Claudia added.

Stella didn't look reassured. "And you are?" She asked sharply.

"I'm Claudia. His friend." Claudia said, nodding towards Sirius.

"Ah good. I was worried for a minute you were his girlfriend." Stella said and laughed nervously.

Claudia burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Stella barked.

Claudia looked at Sirius and smirked.

"I know too well what he's like to ever date him." She said, still laughing.

Stella too was now looking at Sirius. He was struggling to keep a straight face.

"Maybe I should head back to the castle." She said, clearly very annoyed.

"Maybe." Replied Sirius and casually picked up his butterbeer.

Stella turned on her heel and run out of the pub.

"Cheers. That was genius." Said Sirius, grinning and raising his glass.

"Not really. It was mean. She seemed perfectly nice!" Claudia said, frowning.

"She was boring. Kept talking about her cat. I could never date someone who spends so much talking about cats." Sirius replied.

"That's your call. But next time be a grown up and just tell them." Claudia said.

"Maybe." Sirius shrugged. "You didn't have to be quite so convincing, you know. I'm hurt." He added.

They look at each other and burst into laughter.

"Anyway." Said Claudia once they managed to stop giggling. "I better head off. Need to stop by Spintwitches."

Sirius picked up his jacked. "I'll come with you. James is probably there anyway."

They walked out of the pub together. "Have you told anyone about the book?" Claudia asked, as they walked down the high street.

"I got the sense I wasn't supposed to." Sirius replied.

Claudia took a deep breath of the crisp air. If she wanted to tell him about what she saw, now was her chance.

"Marcus knows what book to look for. He recruited Snape to his little gang. He's bound to have told him by now." She said avoiding eye contact.

"Snape." Sirius scoffed. "Sneaky little slimeball. Of course, he would know how to raise the dead. His only chance of getting some friends."

But Claudia was not in a mood to joke about this.

"What happens when they find out the book isn't there?" She asked.

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "You aren't saying that we should give it back, are you?" He said, suddenly very serious.

"Well, I don't want to draw attention to the fact I know that he is up to something." Replied Claudia.

Sirius was mulling it over. It struck her that caution did not come naturally to him.

"You have some time to decide what to do. I'd say keep it over Christmas and see what happens." He said finally, as he opened the door to Spintwitches. Claudia did not even have a chance to reply.

"Sirius! Come and look at this!" James Potter shouted the moment they stepped into the shop. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"This will take a while. See you later." He sighed and went to join his friend.


	5. Chapter 5 (Christmas)

**Christmas**

It was nearly time say goodbye to Hogwarts and head to London for Christmas. Claudia has not spent holiday with her family for a year and was dreading it. Marcus' threat on the day of the Quidditch try-outs was still hanging over her head. She was determined to find out more about her father, but was also scared of what she might uncover.

Alice suggested that Claudia comes and stays with her family for a few days. Claudia would want nothing more than that and was wrecking her brain trying to figure out how to obtain her parents' permission. It was not going to be easy; she remembered only too well how unhappy they were when they found out she was friends with Alice Adler.

They became friends when Claudia first arrived at Hogwarts and Alice was in her second year. Alice broke her leg falling from a broom a year earlier and was retaking the flying lessons that were normally taken by first years. Claudia was a natural and Madam Hooch suggested that she helps Alice out.

In return, Alice helped tutor Claudia in charms when she was struggling with her wand. They were friends ever since.

Alice was clever and very principled. She never minced words and always spoke her mind. Especially when giving advice. Claudia liked that about her. Even though, she did not always like the advice itself.

Initially, neither Alice's nor Claudia's parents were very happy about their friendship. According to Claudia's father, the Adlers were a family of half-bloods and blood-traitors. And since she recently found out that Alice's dad knew her father and You-Know-Who at school, she was beginning to understand why the Adlers did not like their friendship either. They must have changed their mind though since they invited her over for Christmas.

She suspected that Alice has worked on them for the past three years and convinced them that Claudia was not exactly what you would expect from Frederic Avery's daughter. Alice, on the other hand, was still a persona non grata in the Avery household.

Something else weighed on Claudia's mind. The book she stole from the restricted section of the library. It was enormous and she was not sure she would be able to conceal it in her trunk for the entirety of the holiday. She remembered only too well what happened to her books in the summer.

Then it struck her – the shrinking charm. By a stroke of luck, the next class were Charms. She could ask Professor Flitwick about it.

"Professor Flitwick?" Claudia raised her hand at the end of the class. "When we covered shrinking charms, you mentioned that their use on humans is dangerous. Are there any other things that you shouldn't use the charm on?" She asked.

Professor Flitwick smiled, he loved it when students took an interest.

"There are some. What exactly do you have in mind, Miss Avery?" Flitwick asked in return.

"Papers. Books. Things that might make it easier for us to pack for the holidays." She replied as casually as possible.

"Most of these yes." Flitwick nodded. "Unless some powerful magic has been placed on them to prevent tempering. In which case, a shrinking charm could damage it." Flitwick finished, just as the bell rang.

That was disappointing. Claudia would not dare risk damaging the book.

"Easier for us to pack for the holidays?" Sirius smirked at Claudia as she walked past his desk out of the Charms classroom.

Claudia shrugged. She looked around the classroom. It was nearly empty.

"There wouldn't be much point stealing it, if I just deliver it straight to my father and Marcus… I could put a bow on it. Make it a Christmas present." She shrugged.

This made Sirius laugh. "Well, my offer still stands. I can hide it for you in the castle." He said.

"Where?" Asked Claudia, with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"That I'm not going to tell you." Sirius shook his head. He paused, seeing scepticism on Claudia's face. "But you can trust me. If the teachers knew about it, I would've been expelled a long time ago."

Claudia though about it. It sounded a lot better than hiding it under the noses of the very people she was trying to keep it from.

"OK then. If you could." She said. "Thank you." She added, as they were leaving the classroom.

Claudia spent most of the journey back on the Hogwarts Express thinking of a way to get herself to Alice's for Christmas. She should have asked Sirius. He always had an answer when it came to sneaking around and breaking the rules.

They were at King's Cross before she knew it. By a stroke of luck, Marcus went straight from the train to Diagon Alley. Claudia found herself in the car alone with her mother.

She knew what was coming. A seemingly endless interrogation about her social life at Hogwarts. And boys. Her mother never asked about her marks or Quidditch. It was infuriating.

Normally, Claudia would be dreading it, but she figured it was her best chance of getting a permission to visit Alice over the holidays. There was no way her father would have granted it.

The lecturing began. Claudia learned that in order to be happier she ought to buy more make-up, wear dresses, be nicer and smile more.

"And what about your friends? Any of them started dating yet?" Cassandra asked. Finally, the question Claudia had been waiting for.

"Alice has been on few dates in Madam Puddifoot's." Claudia replied with a smile. This was not strictly speaking true. Alice once had a butterbeer with a boy, who turned out to be her distant cousin. Unsurprisingly, it was not something she was keen to broadcast.

"Speaking of Alice. She invited me to stay with her parents for couple of days. Could I go?" Claudia added, hopefully.

"I'm not sure, my dear." Replied Cassandra. "You know what your father says about the Adlers."

"But Alice is no trouble. She is one of the most popular girls at school." Claudia said, pulling her most innocent face.

Cassandra's face softened. Claudia sensed her plan was working and continued.

"All girls admire how she dresses and how she does her hair. She could teach me." Claudia was now really struggling to keep a straight face.

"Fine." Cassandra sighed. "You can go… I will speak to your father. But… You will behave at the Christmas party. And you will wear whatever I put out for you."

Claudia's face dropped a bit, but she recovered her smile quickly.

"Of course." She said sweetly. "Thank you, _mum_."

The dreaded party had finally arrived. Just one more evening and she will be stepping into the fireplace to go to Alice's. She put on the dress that her mother had put out for her – it was touch too sparkly but not anywhere near as bad as it could have been.

After an hour of excruciating small talk with some distant relatives, she finally managed to free herself and found her Slytherin classmates in the crowd. Julius was looking at her, his mouth slightly open.

"You look nice." He said finally, somewhat stuttering.

Claudia remembered what she was wearing. She grimaced, looked over her dress and gave a small curtsy.

"My mother's choice." She mumbled, before continuing. "I'm afraid there will be no Quidditch today. I'm under strict orders to behave."

Julius laughed. But Regulus was frowning. Something was clearly bothering him.

"Why have you been talking to my brother?" Regulus asked sharply. "I saw you in Hogsmeade."

Claudia had to think quickly. She could hardly admit the truth.

"We've just been paired up to do a muggle studies project together." She lied.

"Didn't look like it. It looked like you were both having the time of your lives. Chatting away and laughing." He continued, still disgruntled.

Claudia had the distinct impression that he was jealous. He was always desperate for his brother to notice him and hated Sirius' Gryffindor friends. Or indeed anyone that Sirius spent time with.

"Muggle studies can be funny." Said Claudia. "Same goes for your brother." She added, muttering under her breath.

Regulus clearly heard her and was quite angry now. "I could think of other ways to describe him… And I don't know why they teach that rubbish anyway. Muggles need us to rule them, not study them."

Claudia raised her eyebrows. "Who have you been talking to?" She asked, sarcastically.

But before Regulus could respond, Claudia's mother joined them accompanied by a tall woman, who looked like she has just stepped out from an old paining. She was covered in expensive jewellery and looked like she had not smiled for years.

"Looks like we've interrupted something, Cassandra." She said. Her face barely moved.

"Nonsense, my dear." Replied Claudia's mother before continuing. "You know my daughter, Claudia. She is in the same year as your Sirius. In Slytherin of course."

Claudia smiled and bowed her head slightly. She noticed that, for a fraction of a second, Mrs Black's eyes narrowed when Sirius' name was mentioned.

Claudia expected Mrs Black to say something about Sirius. But she did not even acknowledge that Claudia's mother mentioned his name.

"Regulus speaks highly of you. He says that you are on the house team now and likely to make prefect. Your parents must be very proud of you." Mrs Black finished, turning towards Cassandra.

"Very proud indeed." Claudia's mother smiled and nodded.

This was a barefaced lie. Claudia was going to say something snarky but remembered that she was under strict instructions to behave. There was no surest way to get herself grounded than to embarrass her mother in front of this women. It was her mother's life ambition to weasel her way into the good graces of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black.

Instead, Claudia excused herself and pretended to go and check on the house-elf. The salmon puffs needed replenishing.

On her way to the kitchen, Claudia saw her father talking to a man she did not know. The man was handing her father a black envelope and they spoke in hushed voice. Claudia could not understand a thing. Their conversation was very brief. The man did not go back to the party and disappeared down the hallway and out of the house. Claudia's father went into his study and emerged seconds later locking the door behind him. There was no sign of the letter.

Claudia contemplated breaking into her father's office. The letter could be important. It could be relevant to what Marcus was looking for.

On the other hand, it was more likely to be Ministry business. The house was full of her father's colleagues.

And if she was caught, she would be stuck at home for the rest of the break. She was not ready to risk that.

She was sure it was just Ministry business…

She went up to bed that day very proud of herself. She managed to play nice all week and now it was time to reap the reward.

The following morning, Claudia said goodbye to her parents by the kitchen fireplace. She got the distinct impression that they were not speaking to each other. That was not surprising; her father must have been furious about her mother giving Claudia permission to visit the Adlers. But Claudia did not care. She threw some Floo Powder into the flames and disappeared.

Claudia has never been to Alice's house. It was an old cottage and all you could see from the windows was rolling countryside covered in a thin layer of snow.

Alice showed Claudia around the village. It was small; just one shop, a pub and a post office.

"No wonder you know so much about muggles." Said Claudia. "You practically need to become one to fit in here!"

Alice laughed. "We had a couple of close calls. But I like it here, it's home."

Claudia smiled. She did not really understand. She did not know what it meant to have a real home - a place one would always look forward to returning to, a place one would miss.

They got back just in time to help Alice's mum with dinner.

Claudia nearly cut her finger off trying to cut up some carrots. She was embarrassed that she never had to cook before. They had house-elves and neither of her parents ever set foot in the kitchen, other than to issue orders.

Luckily, she was a proficient potioneer and her instincts soon took over.

The vegetable soup that she made with Alice tasted nearly as good as the one they were served in Hogwarts. It was strangely satisfying, sitting down to dinner that she helped to prepare.

Alice's dad got back from work late.

"It's getting worse." He said in a flat voice as he joined them at dinner. He looked at Claudia. "But I'm not going to bore you with Ministry business. I'm sure your father would have told you everything about it." Mr Adler said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Dad!" Alice said sharply and gave her father a knowing look.

Claudia knew this look too well - Mr Adler has done something he was not supposed to. Claudia suspected that he was under orders from his daughter not to bring up Claudia's father.

Claudia ignored Alice and smiled at Mr Adler. "My father doesn't tell me anything. And I would love to hear more about what's going on at the Ministry." She replied.

Mr Adler had few more spoons of soup, before putting down his cutlery. He spoke slowly.

"I presume you've heard of You-Know-Who?" Claudia nodded. Mr Adler continued. "Well, he's been very active lately. Building up an army. He has been reaching out to old friends and gathering followers among wizards. They call themselves Death Eaters…"

Claudia swallowed. Old friends. The way Mr Adler said it and looked at her made her believe the worst.

"And dark creatures too." Mr Adler finished.

"Dark creatures?" Claudia's eyes widened. "What kind of dark creatures?" She asked.

"Werewolfs, trolls, you name it." Mr Adler replied. "There are even rumours that You-Know-Who has been intending to use dark magic to turn muggles into an army of mindless pawns." He added.

Claudia wondered whether these mindless pawns could be reanimated corpses, the inferi. It was a thought almost too horrible to contemplate.

"Why is he doing it? What does he want?" Asked Claudia. She knew of You-Know-Who, but it never occurred to her to dwell on his motives. Mr Adler shrugged.

"Power, I suppose. He wants to rule the wizarding world and mould it in its own image. Purge the wizarding world of muggle-borns and use magic to rule over muggles, to enslave them." He said glumly.

This sounded familiar to Claudia. This was the same view that her brother and father always held. Even Regulus mentioned it at the Christmas party.

"I can see how this would be popular among some of the wizarding families I know." She sighed.

Mr Adler nodded. He looked disgusted.

"But what makes You-Know-Who different? As Claudia says, there are plenty of wizards who believe in this stuff!" Alice pitched in.

"There is a difference between complaining about muggle-borns from the comfort of your drawing room, and actually wanting to purge them from the face of the Earth." Said Mr Adler.

Purge?" Alice whispered.

She looked terrified. Mrs Adler shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"He is also powerful. You-Know-Who practices powerful – extremely powerful - dark magic, the likes of which we have not seen since Grindelwald." Mr Adler added.

Mrs Adler was now ready to intervene. "But the Ministry are going to stop him, aren't they?" She asked sharply. Leaving her husband under no illusion about how he should respond.

"Of course, of course." Said Mr Adler, giving both Alice and Claudia a reassuring smile. But Claudia could see through it. He was not sure at all.

"What is the Ministry doing to stop him?" Asked Claudia, hoping to continue the conversation.

"That's classified, I'm afraid." Replied Mr Adler. "Although. You might want to keep an eye out for the Daily Prophet over the next couple of weeks." He added with a wink.

Mrs Adler looked at her watch and ushered them both upstairs. It was time to go to bed.

Claudia was lying on a camp bed in Alice's room staring at the ceiling. She was replaying the conversation at dinner in her head.

"Claudia, are you asleep?" She heard Alice whisper.

"Not really. Can't stop thinking about what your dad said." Claudia replied. She could practically hear Alice think in the dark.

"Do you think your father is one of those… those Death Eaters?" Alice asked.

Claudia sighed. She could not stop thinking about that since dinner. She always knew it was a possibility. Her father held the same views as You-Know-Who, he went to school with him. And what about the man he was speaking to at the party? He looked like a dark wizard.

"I think he might be." She said finally.

There was a long pause.

"Promise me you'll be careful. Not pursue that thing with Marcus." Alice said finally.

"I'll be careful." Claudia said absently.

Her mind was already elsewhere. She was determined to continue looking into what Marcus was up to. But Alice was right, she had to be more careful. This was no harmless competition with her brother, this was a fight against You-Know-Who. Fight that could determine who lives and who dies. She remembered the black letter in her father's study. She had been so stupid. How could she let go of the opportunity to find out what was inside?!


	6. Chapter 6 (Breakthrough)

**Breakthrough**

Claudia found the time with Alice's family to be eye-opening. She could finally put a label on what her father was, a Death Eater. She finally understood what it was that Marcus was trying to do. And her mother. Did she know and turned a blind eye to what they were doing? Claudia never felt more ashamed to be an Avery. But she was not just angry with her family; she was angry at herself. For not figuring all of this out earlier, for not following the news properly, and for not pursuing the letter.

She was lying in bed late at night, reading through that day's copy of the Daily Prophet. She read the paper back-to-back every day since she got back from Alice's, looking for any mention of You-Know-Who or of anything that the Ministry was doing to stop him. Yet again, she found nothing. She got to the last page and saw a subscription slip, tore it out and filled out her details. She was determined never to miss anything again.

Claudia made her way down to the hall to leave the subscription slips with the pile of the outgoing post for tomorrow. But the pile was already gone; the house-elf must have taken it. Claudia did not want to raise questions by leaving a solitary letter addressed to the Daily Prophet on a side table in the hall, so she took it down to the kitchen. As she walked through the door, she saw their house-elf burning a stack of papers in the fireplace.

"Sky, what are these?" Claudia asked the house-elf, who turned towards her and gave a slight bow.

She liked Claudia. Not least because Claudia called her Sky, rather than her full name, which was Sklavin. It was a cruel joke on her master's part. Sklavin meant slave in German.

"The master's papers. I burn them for him." Replied Sky.

Claudia's heart started to race. Maybe there was still hope. "Have you seen a letter in a black envelope around Boxing Day?" She asked hopefully.

"The one about the artefact? Master burned that one himself." Sky hurled out.

Then she froze.

She must have realised she said more than she should have done. Claudia knelt in front of her.

"Don't worry Sky. I'll let my father know. He must have forgotten he burned it when he asked me to look for it." Claudia replied.

The relief on Sky's face was palpable. She turned back to the fire and begin to throw more papers in it.

"Just don't mention it to him." Added Claudia.

Sky looked over her shoulder and nodded. She must have known that Claudia has lied to her. But Claudia did not care. She showed her letter at the bottom of the outgoing post pile and run up to her room. She finally had something to go on.

Claudia paced her room until well after midnight. She could not believe her luck. She was trying to remember whether there was anything in the necromancy book about an artefact. She could almost picture the page; there was also a drawing of something that looked like an enormous necklace. That must be it. But she needed the book to be sure. Why did not she take it with her? She slumped on the bed. It will have to wait for another couple of days.

She did not have a chance to speak to Sirius on the Hogwarts Express, nor in the Great Hall. After Regulus' outburst at Christmas, she was sure that he was watching them and did not want to raise any more questions. She waited for Sirius after muggle studies. None of his friends were taking it, so it was always good opportunity to speak to him alone.

"Could I have the book?" She said practically jumping up and down. "I need to see what it says about an artefact… There was a letter." She said without taking a breath.

"Would you mind starting from the beginning?" Asked Sirius, smirking. He had no clue what Claudia was talking about.

"I'll tell you later. When can we meet?" Claudia said. It was not something she wanted to talk about in front of other classmates. They agree to meet the same evening in an abandoned corridor on the fourth floor.

Claudia was half an hour early. She could not concentrate on anything all afternoon. She must have walked the length of the corridor about fifty times before Sirius showed up, the book concealed under his robes. Claudia snatched it from him, dropped to the floor and stuck her nose in the book.

She searched frantically for few minutes. She let out a short scream. Sirius looked completely bemused but did sit down next to her.

"Here. This is it." Said Claudia. She began to read out loud. "Salazar Slytherin was rumoured to possess an artefact that was more powerful and reliable than any other know spell for the creation of the inferi. It has not been seen since Slytherin's death, but it is rumoured to be hidden on the site of Slytherin's private apartments in the Hogwarts Castle."

There was a piece of paper folded in between the pages. Sirius took it out opened it. It was a diagram of an octagonal artefact. In the middle of the artefact sat a core. It looked like a gem shaped into a serpent's head. Around the edges were ancient runes.

Claudia leaned in and they both read the inscription together. Or at least they tried. The text did not appear to be making any sense. Just a random collection of letters and numbers.

Claudia looked up from the page.

"This is why he needs the copy from Hogwarts Library. Because of the diagram. It does not look like it's part of the book." She sighed. "That's what Marcus is looking for. I'm sure of it." Added Claudia.

"Do you know any idea why?" Asked Sirius. There were sitting so close to each other that there was no point lying. Sirius would know instantly.

"I do." Claudia said slowly, doing her best to avoid his eye. She began fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan.

Sirius' spoke again.

"Are you going to tell me?" He asked.

She still was not sure. If she wanted to tell him now was her chance. But she did not know how he would react. Whether he would tell anyone else. She was ashamed of her family and did not want Sirius to judge her. She liked his company and did not want him to stop speaking her.

Claudia took a deep breath. She finally summoned courage to ask the question that has been bothering her for months.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked, looking up at Sirius. She wanted the truth.

"Testing me, eh? Fine." Sirius smirked. "Because I'm bored. Finding this thing looks like it should be a blast." He added.

He put on a good show, but Claudia knew that there was more to it. She rolled her eyes a little.

"Be honest." She said.

Uncharacteristically, Sirius looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Saw through that one?" He asked.

"I've been lying to people my whole life. Takes one to know one." Claudia said, poking Sirius with her elbow. "Now, stop joking around and tell me the truth!"

He took a deep breath.

"I hate what your brother stands for. The pure-blood mania. My family are the same. I think it's about time I started doing something about it." He said.

There was not a hint of irony in his voice. He was being sincere.

"When did you realise you were different?" Asked Claudia.

Sirius leaned back against a wall. He thought about it for a while.

"I had a difficult childhood. I got into the habit of rejecting anything that my parents put in front of me. This pure-blood nonsense was just a part of it. I hated it before I even understood it." He whispered.

"Sounds stupid, I know." He added, attempting to laugh. But neither of then really thought it was funny.

Claudia shook her head. "It doesn't sound stupid at all. Not to me." She said. The kindness in her voice took her by surprise.

"Is this what's driving you too?" Asked Sirius.

It was Claudia's turn to be honest.

"Not really. I realised how wrong it was much later than I'd like to admit." She said, before continuing. "I don't know if you remember, I had a fair bit of trouble keeping up when I first arrived at Hogwarts. Suddenly, all these muggle-born and half-blood students were better than me. That wasn't how it was supposed to be. I was an Avery."

She laughed uncomfortably but continued.

"I started to question it all. It really doesn't make any sense, when you think about it for a bit. How could every pure-blood be better than every muggle-born? Or superior to every single muggle? Some muggles are inspiring! And some pure-bloods, well, are not." Claudia paused.

"And then there were my friends. The only people that were kind to me then and didn't laugh behind my back. Not a single one of them is a pure-blood... The other Slytherins only started talking to me when I got my wand fixed. Even your brother…" She did not finish that sentence.

Sirius grimaced. She clearly struck a chord when she mentioned Regulus.

"My dear brother. My parents would do anything for him to be the heir. He is just like them." He said, sounding disgusted.

"He isn't that bad. Sometimes..." Replied Claudia. She though carefully about what to say next.

"Sometimes, I think he just wants to be your friend." She said, quietly.

Sirius looked like he wanted to object but sighed instead.

"I know..." He paused. "I just can't. My whole life I've been told to be more like him. To follow his example. To be a better son. Whatever I did was never good enough." Sirius muttered.

"But it's not his…" Said Claudia, but Sirius interrupted her.

"I know it's not his fault. But I just can't." He said.

Claudia was not expecting Sirius to open up to her. But was beginning to understand why he was trying to help her. She decided to tell him the truth.

She took a deep breath.

"My father is a Death Eater." She said quietly.

Sirius did not say anything. He was looking at her with utmost concentration. A little frown appearing on his forehead.

"And Marcus is trying to become one. I did some digging over Christmas. They are acting on You-Know-Who's orders, trying to find this artefact. He's going to use it to build an army. To take over the Ministry." She added. Claudia was shaking. She had no idea how he was going to react.

Sirius let out a whistle.

"And I though my family were bad. Are you sure?" He asked.

Claudia gave him the briefest of smiles and nodded.

"Positive. We have to find the artefact first." She whispered.

Sirius grinned. His usual demeanour was back. He was relishing the challenge.

"Do you think we should tell someone about this?" Asked Claudia.

"Like a teacher?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

"No. Not like a teacher. Like the Ministry. I'm sure they would want to know." Replied Claudia.

"And you think they would believe us?" Sirius scoffed. "Doesn't your father work there? I imagine they're all in his pocket." He said.

Claudia knew he was right. This was something she needed to do by herself. Find the artefact and destroy it.

Sirius interrupted her train of thought. "At least you don't have to worry about what to do with the book anymore. Just take the diagram out and put it back."

That was not a bad idea. Marcus would not suspect that somebody else was on the same trail but would be missing a key piece of the puzzle. Then she remembered something.

"It still mentions Slytherin's private apartments. I don't think they'll be that hard to find." She said, glumly.

Sirius grinned and rummaged through his bag.

"That could be easily fixed." He said, as he took out a case with ink and some instruments. "Where should we send him?" He asked.

Claudia's eyes narrowed. "What are these?" She asked.

"Well, if you forge something using magic, most wizards would be able to reverse the spell." Said Sirius. "But… If you forge it the muggle way, they'll be stumped."

Claudia could hardly believe her eyes. "You forge much?" She asked.

Sirius laughed. "Here and there. Do you really think the letters that McGonagall gets are from my parents?"

Claudia was now laughing too. She was glad Sirius was helping her. She could not imagine any of her other friends being quite this useful. She thought for a bit.

"Let's send Marcus up the tallest tower that Hogwarts got. He could use the exercise." Claudia smirked.

Sirius smiled and started scrubbing up the relevant passage. It took him barely twenty minutes to replace the reference to the Slytherin's apartments with one to the Astronomy Tower.

"That's done." He said cheerfully, handing his handywork to Claudia to look over.

"Brilliant. You can't tell. At all." She said, completely in awe.

"I'll take it back to the restricted section tonight." Said Sirius, concealing the book in his bag.

"Thanks. And I'll start looking for Slytherin's apartments." Claudia replied, looking at her watch. It looked like they missed dinner.

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Asked Sirius.

Claudia shook her head.

"Alice knows my father is a Death Eater, but not about the artefact." She said.

"Why not? I thought you were close?" Asked Sirius.

"We are. But she'll try to stop me. Tell me it's dangerous… There is no time for that." Claudia muttered.

Sirius sniggered. "She sounds just like one of my friends. I take it you want me to keep this from them?" He asked.

Claudia nodded. "Do you think they'll get suspicious?" She asked.

Sirius shook his head. "It'll be fine. They'll just assume I'm sneaking around with some girl."

He was not wrong. That's what everyone would assume.

"As long as they don't think that the girl is me." She said with a smile. She really did not want to join the army of Sirius' girlfriends.

They reached the end of the corridor and emerged into the grand staircase. They went their separate ways without another word.

Few days later, Claudia was sitting alone at breakfast. She was waiting for the Daily Prophet to arrive. She was getting impatient. She wanted to see what news Mr Adler was talking about. The owl was finally here.

Claudia unwrapped the newspaper and saw immediately that today was the day of big news. "NEW MINISTER OF MAGIC" screamed the front page. She skimmed the article. Harold Minchum was proud to call himself a hardliner. Fight against You-Know-Who was going to be a priority. Greater security at Azkaban prison. New powers for aurors. Stepped up surveillance. Claudia's eyes settled on the last paragraph.

_"Anyone with information about You-Know-Who's activities is obliged to inform the Ministry. Non-compliance to be punishable by law."_

That included Claudia. Maybe she should contact the Ministry after all. What if they found out what she was up to and send her to Azkaban?! She began to think about the best way of approaching it. Maybe she could write to Mr Adler; he would know what to do.

Intuitively, she turned to the next page. She saw another picture of Harold Minchum. He was standing next to Claudia's father, welcoming a delegation from France. They were all smiles. Below it run a quote, her father was delighted by Mr Minchum's appointment. He was the right man for the job.

Claudia's heart sank.

Sirius was right, as long as her father was around, there was no point telling anyone at the Ministry. Who would believe a fourteen-year-old over the great Frederic Avery? For now, she was in this alone.

Or nearly alone, she remembered as she saw Sirius and his friends walking into the Great Hall.


	7. Chapter 7 (Down in the Dungeons)

**Down in the dungeons**

Claudia slumped onto a chair at lunch, letting out a long sigh and dropping her head on the

How was practice?" Asked Alice, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Awful, just awful." Claudia growled. "I don't know what's happened to me. Every time I look at him, I drop the quaffle. If I don't sort this out, Parkinson is going to throw me off the team." She whispered.

Alice put her arm around Claudia.

"He wouldn't do that. The season's just started." She tried reassuring her friend.

"Yes, he would. He said so after practice…" Claudia sighed. "What am I going to do? I cannot give Marcus the satisfaction." She added, on the verge of tears.

"I have an idea." Alice smiled. "Valentine's Day is coming up. You could tell him how you feel. That might help." She said.

"Good one." Claudia laughed.

"I'm not joking. That's what people do when they like someone!" Alice replied, looking rather bemused.

"I'm not people." Claudia grimaced. "Besides, it's just a crush. I barely know him. It's going to go away, right?" She asked, almost hopefully.

Alice shook her head in disbelief. "Just tell him. Write him a card. He might like you back!" She smiled encouragingly.

But Claudia was not convinced. "Why would he like me back?" Alice looked like she was about to respond but Claudia cut her off. "No, I've trained for this all my life. Hide my feelings. Focus on Quidditch. Write some essays. It will work." She said, resolutely.

Alice did not say anything and returned to her shepherd's pie. She learned to pick her battles. But Claudia knew full well this was not the end of her friend's well-meant interference.

After lunch, Claudia headed to the library. She had spent the last few weeks reading every book about Salazar Slytherin she could find, looking for clues on the whereabouts of his apartments. So far, she had no luck. She took out a stack of books from the section on history of Hogwarts, sat down at her usual desk and began going through them.

She was about to give up for the day when she stumbled on a portrait of Slytherin in an old volume. He was standing in what looked like a study. There was an ornate desk just under a large stained-glass window. The ceiling was domed with very distinct pale pink masonry. This could be it.

Book in hand, Claudia run down to the dungeons. She walked around for what felt like hours, looking at architecture and comparing it to the picture of Salazar's portrait.

Finally, she found it. An old door that was framed in same pale pink masonry. She was about to try opening it, when she heard footsteps coming towards her. She shoved the book in her bag. What if it was Marcus? But it was far worse.

It was Anthony… It was too late to run away, as he had seen her and waved at her cheerfully.

"Are you also looking for Clarissa's cat? Apparently, it's been missing for days." Anthony asked.

Claudia could not care less about Clarissa, or her cat. But she could hardly tell him what she was really doing in the dungeons. She swallowed hard, but her voice has abandoned her. So, she decided to just nod instead.

"Want to look together?" Asked Anthony.

"Sure." Claudia managed to whisper back. Her voice may had returned, but it sure did not sound like her.

They walked in silence for a minute or two. Claudia was glad that she did not have to speak. She had enough trouble remembering how to walk. She hated how stupid Anthony made her feel.

"It will get better. I'm sure of it." Anthony said suddenly.

Claudia looked at him, not entirely sure what he was talking about.

"Quidditch." Anthony added.

"I don't know what happened. I'm better than that." Claudia whispered.

"You're trying too hard. Just relax and you'll be fine." Anthony said, giving her a reassuring smile.

Claudia forced herself to smile back at him. Just relax. It was easier said than done.

"And if you want some extra practice, let me know. I'm happy to help." Anthony added.

"Thanks." Claudia replied, even though the thought filled her with dread. She could barely get a sentence out in front of him. How would she get through a whole practice session if it was just the two of them?

They rounded the corner and stopped at the bottom of the staircase leading up towards the Slytherin common room. Claudia could not wait to get away.

"I'm going to head back. I don't think the cat is here." Claudia muttered. She barely waited for Anthony to respond and run up the stairs.

She skipped dinner and went straight to bed. There was no chance she was risking running into Anthony again. It was just too embarrassing. She slumped into her bed but could not sleep. Her brain was too busy trying to picture Anthony's face, his smile, his hair... She could not make it stop. She sighed and turned over. It was not her, being lost for words, hiding in the dormitory, acting all pathetic. Why could she just not go back to only caring about Quidditch and finding the artefact. She sighed with relief. The artefact. That was a happier thought. She must remember to tell Sirius about the door tomorrow.

Claudia was not sure whether she slept that night. She got up well before dawn and grabbed a piece of parchment. She figured out that sending Sirius a note with the morning post was less conspicuous than trying to talk to him during classes. The Slytherins only had potions with the Gryffindors today and the classroom was always crammed. It was too risky. She had no intention of giving Severus an excuse to snoop on them. "_Tonight? Same place. Same time. C._" Claudia scribbled down quickly and made her way to the owlery.

She was the first person to arrive at breakfast. The Great Hall was strangely eerie. She ate quickly and alone and was out before anyone could see her. She was still in no mood to talk to anyone.

They had double potions first thing in the morning. Claudia was sitting at a table with Julius, Emmanuel and Severus as usual. She and Severus had been potion partners since their first year. It was not because they liked each other. Neither of them simply had any other friends in Slytherin when they first arrived in Hogwarts. And now they just sat together out of habit. Moreover, both were very good at potions and neither had enough patience to be paired up with someone who could not keep up. Now that Claudia knew that Severus was helping her brother, she was also keen to keep an eye on him. She was sure he was doing the same for her brother.

"Morning all." Professor Slughorn called the class to attention. He sounded unseasonably cheerful. "Today, we will be working with leeches to make leech juice. Which we will be using next month for our Shrinking Solutions." He added.

The class gave a collective growl. No one was looking forward to working with leeches. Claudia was no exception. She was in a terrible mood already and this was the last thing she needed. Even Severus looked disgusted.

They went to collect a jar of leeches each. The leeches needed to be carefully crushed and then liquefied in a cauldron on low heat. Sounded easy. But the leeches were slippery and crushing them took forever. Normally, Claudia would not be a fan of mind-numbing work but today she found it soothing. Surprisingly, smashing up some leeches was exactly what she needed.

Through the pounding of mortars and squelching of leeches, Claudia could hear James Potter's voice. He and his friends were sitting at a table directly behind her.

"But why wouldn't you tell me who she is?" He asked, sounding half amused and half irritated.

Claudia figured James must have been referring to the note she sent Sirius. Sirius mumbled something in response that Claudia could not hear. James was not deterred and continued.

"We were supposed to work on the..." James paused. "_You-know-what_. And you're going to abandon us for some girl, _again_..."

Sirius laughed. "Do you want me to promise I'll never do it again? That I'll be by your side forever?" He asked.

That only made James scoff. "Like I'd believe you."

They stopped bickering briefly when Slughorn walked past their table.

"Fine, go and meet this mystery girl. Remus and I will cope." James hissed when Slughorn moved away.

"I'll be there too." Squeaked someone. Must have been Peter Pettigrew, who was always hanging around with them. Although, nobody quite knew why.

At six that evening, Claudia made her way to the fourth floor. Sirius was already there.

"Good. I thought for a minute you were James. Following me. He doesn't like when I keep secrets from him." He said when Claudia emerged through the doorway. "I even had to take his cloak as a precaution!" Sirius added, frowning.

Claudia knew that he did not like it either, keeping things from his best friend.

"I heard you in potions. Sorry if I messed up. I thought it was safer than trying to speak to you at breakfast." She whispered.

"He'll cope." Sirius shrugged. "But we need to find a better way of talking to each other." He said, still annoyed.

"We'll figure something out." Replied Claudia.

Then she remembered why she wanted to see Sirius if the first place and a huge smile appeared on her face.

"I've found it..." She said, opening the book and showing it into Sirius' hands. "I searched the dungeons for the same masonry. And I've found it! It's got to be it." She said, pointing, somewhat frantically, at the archway in the portrait.

Sirius brought the book closer to his face.

"Are you sure? This could be anywhere." He asked, squinting at the picture.

Claudia was in a better mood. She must have burned all the negative energy smashing up those leeches.

"I'm never wrong." She said, cheerfully.

"Never wrong?" Sirius smirked. "I thought I was supposed to be the arrogant one around here." He quipped, his own mood improving too.

Claudia shrugged. "It's not arrogance. It's backed up by lifetime of experience."

Sirius laughed. "Should we go check it out?" He asked. But he didn't even wait for Claudia to answer and pulled out the invisibility cloak from his bag.

"Glad I took this now. Don't want to be seen skulking around the dungeons. It's full of Slytherins." He added, tongue in cheek.

Claudia rolled her eyes. The rivalry between their houses was bound to come up at some point. Sirius threw the cloak over his shoulders and they sat off.

"Here it is." Said Claudia triumphantly as they stood outside the dungeon door.

"Doesn't seem to be locked." Said Sirius, as he leaned on the door and opened it. It was heavy and gave a loud creak.

They walked through the door and stepped into complete darkness.

"Lumos." They whispered in unison.

The end of their wands lit up and revealed a low room, full of sturdy pillars and garbage. Old barrels were lying everywhere, animal cages scattered across the place, and old rags piled up in odd corners. Claudia hoped with all her heart that none of these piles were going to move. They looked like they could be full of rats.

"I thought Slytherin would live somewhere more glamorous." Smirked Sirius.

Claudia did not want to admit it, but she was expecting something else also.

"There could be a secret entrance somewhere." She whispered and begin to walk around the perimeter of the dungeon.

And then she saw it. One of the arches was sealed.

"Here." She hissed at Sirius and raised her wand so that he could see it too. "There could be something behind it." She added, then paused. "Could you? Just.. You know." She gestured towards the sealed arch.

"Do you just assume I know how to blast a hole in a wall?" Sirius scoffed.

Claudia did not say anything but her look left Sirius in no doubt whatsoever. It was exactly what she was assuming. Sirius smirked and raised his wand.

"_Bombarda_!" He said resolutely. A jet light erupted from the end of his wand and blasted a huge hole in the middle the sealed arch.

Once the dust settled, they stuck their heads in. It was just a dark corner. Same as any other. Rags and cages everywhere.

"Maybe, it's concealing..." Claudia began to say but was interrupted by a loud creaking noise. They both looked up and saw a large crack appearing in the archway above them.

"I don't think the wall was there to conceal a secret entrance, you know." Sirius said in a dry tone. He began to back out from below the arch.

"But..." Claudia said, trying to have one last peak. She was so sure that the secret entrance was there. Sirius grabbed her hand and pulled her from underneath the arch.

They just about managed to get away when it collapsed.

But it didn't stop there. Chaos ensued. The neighbouring arch began to collapse too. And then the next one. A large rock just missed Sirius' head and struck him on the arm.

They began to run through the dark dungeon. Claudia tumbled over something and landed on the floor. Sirius, who was running behind her, tripped over her foot.

"Ouch." He screamed, as he crashed into against something. Claudia struggled to her feet. She sprained her ankle and could hardly support her weight. She raised her wand and the light shone on Sirius, who was kneeling on the ground next to some barrels. He looked much worse off. His face was bleeding, as was his arm. He was rubbing his head.

"Let's get out of here… Before you get us killed." He hissed.

Mercifully, the remaining arches were holding up and they manged to get out of the room without any further injury.

"I thought you were never wrong." Said Sirius through gritted teeth. They were both leaning against the door, trying to close it.

"Not the time… Ego… Hurts…" Said Claudia, panting.

The latch fell into place and they sat down by the foot of the door. Claudia was rubbing her ankle. Sirius was examining a long bloody gash on his arm. His eye was getting bluer by the minute. He looked like he's been in a fight.

"Now, I'll have to make up a jealous boyfriend too." He hissed, clearly thinking the same think.

"I'm sorry..." Said Claudia but could not continue. They both burst into laughter.

"What's above here?" Asked Sirius.

"Don't really know... Hopefully, the ceiling is still intact…" Claudia shrugged, but got interrupted by a sharp _meow_. Sirius froze.

"I know that meow." He said. He stood up, grabbed Claudia's hand and pulled her up. She flinched. Her ankle was very sore.

"McGonagall?" She asked, supressing the pain.

"Worse." Said Sirius, shaking his head. "Filch is not far behind." He paused, frowning. "Go!" He added sharply.

Claudia shook her head. "It's my mess. I'm staying." She said, defiantly.

"You can't get caught here! Your brother would know." Whispered Sirius urgently. When he saw that she was not budging, he added. "Fine. Stay here, but not like this." He grabbed the cloak from the floor and threw it over her.

Merely seconds later, the caretaker appeared out of nowhere. His eyes lit up when he saw Sirius.

"Where is Potter?" He asked gleefully. Sirius shrugged and looked at his watch.

"Great Hall, I suppose. I'll come and fetch him for you. Or is there something you want me to pass on?" He said casually. Despite the severity of the situation, Claudia had to try very hard not to laugh. Filch was not amused.

"You insolent, little shit… Tell me now! Why are you down here?" He said angrily, still looking around frantically. Claudia took few steps back, as quietly as she could, and pinned herself against the wall. Sirius kept his cool.

"I was just coming back from potions, when I must have taken a wrong…" But Claudia did not hear the rest of the sentence.

More of the ceiling came crushing down.

Filch gave Sirius a twisted smile.

"We're going to find Professor McGonagall. And then we're going to look behind that door." He looked very pleased with himself. "Oh, I do miss my shackles." Filch added with a hint of nostalgia.

Sirius said nothing, just picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder.

"Lead the way, Filchy." He said. All Claudia could hear was more of Filch's cursing, as they disappeared behind a corner. She felt guilty about letting Sirius take the blame. But he was right. Marcus would know and that would be that. She will just need to find a way to pay him back, somehow.

Claudia run back to the Slytherin common room as fast as her ankle allowed her. Luckily, it was not far. She muttered the password and slipped inside.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw Marcus and Severus sitting in the common room. Marcus was looking straight at her. For a second, she was surprised that they did not even acknowledge that she walked in. Then she realised that she still had the invisibility cloak on. She stood in complete silence just a few yards from them. Severus was reading something, and Marcus was looking at him impatiently.

But before she could see what Severus was reading, a large group of first years came though into the common room and were walking straight at Claudia. She had to get out of there. All she could glimpse before heading for the dormitory was a picture of the Astronomy Tower in Severus' book. They must have found the book.


	8. Chapter 8 (Moste Potente Potions)

**Moste Potente Potions**

"I'm so sorry." Claudia whispered as she sat down next to Sirius in muggle studies. It was the first time she saw him since Filch led him away from the dungeons.

She took the cloak, carefully wrapped in brown paper, and passed it to Sirius under the table.

"No worried." He shrugged. "I haven't been in detention for nearly a month. McGonagall was getting suspicious."

Claudia laughed. The teacher was about to start the lesson and shot a warning look in their direction.

"Well, I still feel bad. If there is anything I can do in return…" Claudia whispered quickly.

"I'll hold you to that." Sirius replied with a grin. Then he paused. "Actually, there is something…" He began to say but was interrupted by a stern shush from the teacher.

"I expect this from Mr Black, but not you Miss Avery." He said, disappointed. "Extra foot from each of you on today's essay." He added.

Claudia could feel her ears burning. Over the three and a half years in Hogwarts, she did not once get a punishment! Sirius looked like he was about to argue with the teacher, but Claudia kicked him under the desk. Extra homework was bad enough, she did not need any points deducted too.

"Chicken." Sirius hissed. Claudia kicked him again.

"I can do the extra work, as a thank you..." Claudia said to Sirius, as the bell rang, and the classroom began to empty.

"Nah. Will take me ten minutes." He replied and then looked around briefly. "There was something else I was going to ask you… I could really do with some Polyjuice Potion. You don't happen to know how to make it?" Sirius whispered.

Claudia narrowed her eyes. She had the instructions in her bootleg copy of _Moste Potente Potions_, but it was dangerous if made badly and probably illegal. But she did owe Sirius a huge favour, so she nodded.

"Never made it. But I got the instructions." She said, trying to remember what the book said. "I think there are couple of tricky ingredients. But I can have a look. Meet me on the fourth floor in twenty minutes?"

Sirius' face lit up. "Great." He grinned. "Aren't you going to ask me what I need it for?" He asked.

"Absolutely not." Claudia scoffed. "Have you ever heard of plausible deniability?" She said and run off to the dungeons.

Claudia was panting a little when she got back up to the fourth floor. Without as much as another word, she sat down and unfolded a piece of paper. Sirius sat down next to her and leaned in to look over her shoulder.

"I presume you don't want anyone to know that you're brewing this?" Claudia asked. Sirius smiled.

"You presume right." He said. Claudia's eyes raced across the page for a few seconds.

"You would need to start by stewing some Lacewing Flies. I can order these from the Magical Menagerie. Pretend I have a fussy toad." She continued down the list. "Knotgrass grows in the Forbidden Forest. Slughorn made us pick it there before… Would it be too much to assume that you might know your way around the forest well enough to pick some?" Claudia asked, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Consider it done." Said Sirius. Claudia chuckled and continued.

"I can buy Bicorn hair during the next Hogsmeade weekend. It's used for Pepper Up Potion. Anyone could be brewing that." She said as she scanned the rest of the list. That was going to be trickier.

Sirius pointed his finger at the leeches. "Shame we have just brewed that disgusting leech juice in potions. Could have pinched couple of them off Slughorn." He said. Claudia turned her head towards him and smirked.

"Well, if someone was to be clumsy and spilled their leech juice… Slughorn might let them remake it in their spare time?" She said suggestively.

"I see." Sirius said, smiling back. "Peter can get very clumsy sometimes… What's next?" He asked.

"Boomslang skin." Replied Claudia. "As far as I can remember, it's also used in the Beautification Potion." She added.

"Surely, we can just get that in Hogsmeade too?" Asked Sirius.

Claudia scoffed and shook her head. "I'm not going to be seen dead buying ingredients to the Beautification Potion. What would people think?!" She said, genuinely terrified at the thought. She paused and looked at Sirius. "Let's face it. No one's going to believe that you are brewing one." She added, awkwardly. She may have even blushed a little.

Before Sirius could say anything, Claudia spoke again. "Can't you convince one of your girlfriends to get Slughorn to teach us? They usually seem like the type to be interested in the Beautification Potion." There was more than just a hint of judgement in her voice. Sirius began to protest.

"I don't have any girlfriends…" He said. But when he saw the sceptical look on Claudia's face, he changed his tune. "Fine. But neither of them is in our potions class." He said, slightly embarrassed.

"Neither?" She Claudia asked pointedly. "Anyway… Get them to do it in their class and I am sure Slughorn will teach us too. It's an OWL requirement." Claudia added. She was keen to move on. The type of girls that Sirius was usually interested in made her blood boil. What did he see in them?!

"The real problem is going to be fluxweed. It must be picked on full moon. If you buy it anywhere or steal it from Slughorn, everyone will know that you're brewing Polyjuice." Said Claudia, recovering her composure.

"Does Sprout grow it?" Asked Sirius. Claudia nodded.

"Pretty sure she does. It's got healing properties. We could take it at the next full moon... Let me just check when that is." Claudia said, taking out a diary from her bag. But Sirius spoke first.

"Twenty-sixth of February. But I can't do that day." Claudia laughed.

"Why? Are you a werewolf?" She asked. Sirius shifted uncomfortably but was quick to defend himself.

"I'm still in detention for collapsing half the dungeon! I bet Filch got something special planned for me." Sirius sighed.

Claudia looked sheepish. "Sorry. My bad." She whispered, before adding. "I'll get it. Consider it my payback for you taking the blame the other day."

Sirius laughed. "Hold your horses. Do you think I can actually brew this?" He said, squinting at the paper. "I can get some of the ingredients, but I absolutely need you to do the hard work." He said. It made Claudia chuckle.

"What makes you think I can do this? It's bloody complicated." She asked.

"You're second only to Snivellus in that class. I can hardly ask him…" Sirius replied.

"Snive… Who?" Asked Claudia.

"Snape." Sirius replied, frowning.

Claudia shook her head. "You and your little friends better not have a horrid nickname for me." Said Claudia. Sirius was grinning again.

"Not yet. But wait until James makes the Quidditch team…" He smirked. Claudia could not help but to laugh with him.

The next two weeks went quickly. Claudia just about found enough time to order the Lacewing flies, found an old storage cupboard in the dungeons and began stewing them. She did not have a spare minute to think about the artefact. She barely had time to keep up with her homework.

The Slytherin team had practice every other day in the run up to the Ravenclaw game. Claudia still felt pathetic every time she looked at Anthony, but – at least on the Quidditch pitch – she was beginning to get over it. She was getting better. Still not back to her best but good enough for Parkinson. Mercifully, he stopped talking about kicking her off the team.

The second game of the season had arrived. Slytherin went toe to toe with Ravenclaw all game, but Macmillan was first to the snitch and Slytherin had their second victory. Slytherin's margin over the other teams was such that they would have to really mess up the last game not to lift the cup at the end of the year.

The celebration in the common room was huge that night. The team was sitting on the sofas in the middle of the common room. There was raucous laughter and empty butterbeer bottles everywhere. Claudia was chatting to Julius, who was sitting opposite her. He was doing really well as keeper. He was on his third butterbeer.

"Maybe I'll do this for a living." He said cheerfully. "Wouldn't it be amazing? Fly for a living?" He asked, beaming at Claudia.

"Sure would." She replied. He was good, but he was not that good, Claudia thought to herself. Julius sunk into the sofa. He was still grinning at her. She had never seen him this happy before.

Claudia felt someone touch her shoulder. It was Anthony. Her stomach did a somersault.

"Do you want a butterbeer?" He asked. Claudia shook her head and pointed at her Gillywater.

"I'm fine. Thanks." She muttered.

Anthony squeezed himself on the sofa between Claudia and Parkinson. She tried to play it cool but was painfully aware that their legs were touching.

On one hand, it was excruciating. On the other, she wanted him to move even closer.

"I told you that you just needed to relax." He said, smiling. Claudia shrugged.

"I can do lot better than that." She replied, looking up at Anthony from beneath her eyelashes.

They looked at each other for little longer than was comfortable.

"Is she always this hard on herself?" Anthony asked, slowly turning toward Julius. But he did not get a response. Julius grumbled something under his breath, got up and left.

"Sometimes." Claudia replied instead, smiling. She could not care less where Julius went to at that moment.

Anthony grinned back at her but before he could respond, Professor Slughorn walked into the common room, beaming. Claudia always hated Slughorn's victory speeches, but never more than right now.

He went on and on.

But Claudia did not hear a word of what he was saying. All she could think about was Anthony. He put his feet on the table and stretched his arms across the back of the sofa. One inch was all that what was separating her from being in his arms. Just one inch. She had never been so painfully aware of anything in her life.

Anthony yawned and stood up.

"You've heard the boss. Off to bed." He said.

Claudia did not even notice that Slughorn had finished his ridiculous speech. Anthony extended his hand to her. She grabbed it and pulled herself up.

For a fraction of a second, Claudia thought of kissing Anthony. But they were in the middle of the common room. The rest of the team were watching. It was the stupidest idea she has ever had.

"Night." Whispered Anthony, as they parted ways and went to their separate dormitories.

Claudia was so exhausted. She did not even have the strength to change into her pyjamas. But yet, she could not fall asleep. Was it possible that Anthony liked her too? She pulled up a pillow and buried her face into it. Well, Anthony did like everyone. And what exactly happened between them that was out of the ordinary? She must stop reading too much into it. And she absolutely must not tell Alice about it. She would only get her hopes up. Hope was the last thing Claudia needed. Hope was what was eating her alive. If only she could accept that nothing will ever happen between her and Anthony, she could forget this whole business and move past it...

It took Claudia a herculean effort to fall asleep that evening.

The following Friday, Claudia was sitting on the floor of the Slytherin common room, leaning against the wall next to the fire. That way, no one could surprise her and see what she was doing.

She was staring at the page with instructions for the Polyjuice Potion, but her mind was elsewhere. Anthony's presence was still distracting.

On top of that, she had absolutely no idea where to look for the artefact. She had hoped that by this point, she would have had some leads. It seemed that her luck has run out. The only consolation was that Marcus was following a false trail.

Claudia sighed and made herself focus on the Polyjuice Potion. It was a good distraction from everything else.

She was just triple checking that the only thing she needed to get in Hogsmeade was the Bicorn horn. She was about to put her _Moste Potente Potions_ copy back in her bag, when she noticed a page poking out of the pile. There was a word that caught her eye.

'Luck'. Claudia could really use some of that. She looked around to make sure no one was watching her and skimmed the page. The name of the potion was Felix Felicis, or liquid luck. It guaranteed success in all endeavours. That's exactly what she needed! She looked at the instructions and her heart sank instantly – she had never seen anything more complicated in her life.

The potion took six months to brew and the ingredients list was extensive. Claudia had not even heard about some them. But she had nothing to lose by looking around in Pippin's Potions.

She took out a piece of parchment and copied the required ingredients. Squill bulb and tincture of thyme should be straight forward. She could pretend she needed the Murtlap tentacle for Murtlap essence and the Common Rue was used for poisoning recovery. She laughed. Together with the Bicorn horn she was getting for the Pepper Up Potion she was supposedly brewing, she would look like a right hypochondriac.

Then, she wrote down the ingredients that she did not know: Ashwinder egg and Occamy eggshell. There was no time to research them. She would just need to try her luck in Hogsmeade. Claudia folded her shopping list and put it in safely in her pocket. It was now time to try and get some sleep.

"Ready to go?" Asked Alice as they finished breakfast. Claudia yawned.

"Go ahead. I'll join you later in the Three Broomstick. I've got some shopping to do anyway." She said. Alice looks concerned.

"You've been in weird mood for weeks. What are you not telling me?" She asked, pointedly. Claudia did not know how Alice did it. She could always tell when something was wrong. But there were so many things that Claudia was not telling Alice, she did not even know where to start. She looked at Alice.

"It's nothing. I just need to go to Pippin's Potions. Replenish some things." Said Claudia.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Asked Alice. Claudia shook her head. She did not need another lecture. She knew exactly how Alice would feel if she knew what she was planning on brewing, and more importantly for whom.

Down in Hogsmeade, Claudia popped into Dogweed and Deathcap for the tincture of thyme and squill bulb. It was just the potions shop left.

"I will need Bicorn horn, Murtlap tentacles and Common Rue." She said when it was her turn to approach the counter. The shopkeeper measured her suspiciously. He must have been used to Hogwarts students buying all sorts of things they were not supposed to.

"I'm refilling my first aid kit." She said with a smile. The shopkeeper seemed somewhat satisfied and began putting together Claudia's order. She used the time to look at the small jars behind the shopkeeper's counter to see if she could spot any of the rarer ingredients for Felix Felicis.

Then she saw it. A jar of golden eggs with a fading label that read 'Ashwinder eggs'. Her eyes widened when she saw the price. They were unbelievably expensive. The shopkeeper must have noticed her because he sniggered.

"Interested in Ashwinder eggs?" He asked, with a wink. Claudia did not understand what was so strange about it. She said nothing. "Thinking of brewing a love potion, eh? Who is the lucky guy?" The shopkeeper added.

Claudia could fell that she was blushing. She had no idea that's what Ashwinder eggs were used for. She was suddenly very aware of the other people in the shop, hoping that nobody saw or heard anything. She did not dare ask about Occamy eggshells.

"How much is it for these three?" She mumbled and rummaged through her purse, avoiding all eye contact.

She paid and run out of the shop as fast as she could and headed for the Three Broomsticks. She had not hope getting these ingredients. There would be no Felix Felicis to help her with Anthony or the artefact. She felt like all hope has gone.

She did not stay in the pub long. It was crowded again and Claudia was in no mood to be around people. She blamed a headache and left for the castle by herself.


	9. Chapter 9 (Bloody Baron)

**Bloody Baron**

Claudia was dragging herself up the stairs to the fourth floor. It had been nearly a week since the trip to Hogsmeade and she was still in a sour mood. Two hours of listening to Slughorn about the properties of the Beautification Potion did nothing to improve it.

"Well done on getting the potions curriculum switched up." She said to Sirius when she saw him, waiting in the corridor. There was definitely more than just a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She now wished there was another way of getting the Boomslang skin. Sirius smirked.

"It really wasn't that hard… And neither was taking this from under Slughorn's nose." He said, reaching to his bag and taking out a jar with a small piece of green snakeskin. "Got the leeches and knotgrass too…" He added and handed everything over to Claudia.

"Great… Just the fluxweed to go then." She replied.

"Are you going to be ok?" Sirius asked. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he was worried. Claudia nodded.

"Yeah. I've got a plan." She replied.

"Are you sure? I could ask James to go with you." He said. Claudia could feel her temper rising.

"I'm going to be ok… I can do things by myself too, you know." Claudia said, definitely more sharply than she was intending to. She continued. "Anyway, I found somewhere to brew it. There is an old storage cupboard in the dungeons. By the painting of Dracula's castle. No one ever goes there. Meet me there on Sunday morning?" She did not give Sirius a chance to respond, before she began to walk off.

"And bring the hair, or whatever body part you are planning to use…" She added over her shoulder.

The following day, Claudia left her last lesson full of nerves. It was finally full moon and with it, the time to sneak into the greenhouse to pick the fluxweed. Her plan was solid, fail-proof even. She was going to hide near the greenhouse before the doors to the castle were locked and then wait for the moon to come out. She had a good look around the greenhouse during her Herbology lessons and knew where to go. Then, there would be about an hour to wait before the gamekeeper went back to his hut after dinner. She was going to slip back to the castle when he opened the door. She watched him for a week and every day – without fail – he left the castle by eight o'clock.

It was time to put the plan into action. She waited for the full moon to rise and picked the fluxweed without any issues.

Claudia made her way back towards the castle door, hid behind a bush and waited. The brick that she left by the door was still there. Claudia planned to move the brick and jam the door after the gamekeeper opened it.

It was eight o'clock. The dinner would have finished by now, but the gamekeeper was nowhere to be seen.

Then it was nine. Still nothing. Claudia's was getting really cold. Her fingers, wrapped around her wand, were nearly frozen. She was also getting angrier and angrier. Why could not she let James do this? He had the cloak and clearly a lot of practice using it. What was she trying to prove?

Then, the clock struck ten. The lights in the windows of the castle were disappearing one by one.

Claudia was on a verge of tears and seriously thinking about giving up. She was going to knock on the door and make some excuse. Say that she was doing some extra Quidditch practice and fell asleep in the changing rooms. It was stupid excuse, but no one would suspect what she was really up to. How could they? She run through her story about dozen times, summoning the courage to go and bang on the castle door.

But before she stood up, the door finally creaked open. It was the gamekeeper. He was whistling to himself and looked very unsteady on his feet.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_". Whispered Claudia, pointing her wand at the brick and moving it slightly to keep the door open. "Unreliable idiot." She muttered to herself as she waited for the gamekeeper to disappear from view so that she can slip back to the castle.

It was nearly midnight when she finally made it to bed. She had never been this cold before in her life.

On Saturday morning, she made her way to the abandoned storage cupboard. Her little adventure did absolutely nothing to improve her mood. She threw the fluxweed and knotgrass into the cauldron, stirred it according to instructions and waited.

Then came the leeches and stewed lacewing flies.

Lastly, she added the Boomslang skin and the Bicorn horn. Now, she could do nothing else but wait. The potion needed to brew for twenty-four hours. Claudia spent the rest of the day in the cupboard doing her homework. She did not mind. She was in no mood to see people anyway. Not even the promise of lunch pried her away. When it was time for dinner, Claudia moved the cauldron to the corner of the cupboard and hid it behind some old boxes. She then packed up the rest of the ingredients, climbed on a chair and hid them on the top of the closet.

The next morning, Claudia grabbed some toast from the Great Hall and went back to the cupboard. Sirius was already there. He was sitting on the floor, scribbling something on a piece of parchment, which he promptly hid when Claudia came through the door.

"Hi." She said mindlessly, pulled up a chair, and tried to reach for the ingredients on the top of the closet. It was certainly easier to get them up there than back down.

"Do you want some help?" Asked Sirius, almost sounding amused.

"I'm fine." Claudia replied, stubbornly. At that exact moment though, she lost her footing and slipped. She managed to grab hold of the top of the closet and keep herself from falling from the chair. But only just. Sirius jumped up on his feet.

"Will you let me help?" He said, sounding somewhat annoyed.

"I said I was fine." Replied Claudia, more determined than ever, and stretched herself some more. Finally, her fingers closed around the bag with the ingredients. She climbed down from the chair. Sirius was shaking his head.

"What now?" He asked.

"I think I just need to add some more lacewing flies. In about half an hour." Claudia replied, moving the cauldron back to the centre of the room. "Get the precise instructions from my bag." She added. Sirius looked for a moment like he was going to object to being bossed around like this, but clearly thought better of it. He took out the copy of the _Moste Potente Potions_ and began flicking through it.

"Have you brewed anything else from this? It's all useful, but bloody complicated." He asked. Claudia shook her head.

"I thought about brewing Felix Felicis to help us find the artefact. I even bought most of the stuff. But couple of the ingredients are too expensive. And it takes way too long." She replied.

Sirius looked through the book until he found the instruction for Felix Felicis.

"What are you missing?" He asked, his eyes running across the page.

"Occamy eggshell and Ashwinder eggs." Claudia replied, before adding. "We can't pinch these from Slughorn… I don't even know of a potion that uses Occamy eggshell."

Sirius smirked. "And as far as Ashwinder eggs are concerned, I don't think Slughorn will be teaching us love potions any time soon." He replied. Claudia was impressed.

"How do you even know that's what they are used for?" She asked. Sirius laughed.

"Surprised? Need to know the enemy. Do you have any idea how many of these I have to dodge?!" He said.

"Of course." Claudia mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"You're literally the only girl in this whole bloody school that I would trust around an Ashwinder egg." Sirius added. He tried very hard to look upset, but Claudia could tell he was fairly pleased with himself.

She frowned. Only girl he would trust around an Ashwinder egg… What on earth did he mean by that?! She thought to herself, but did not say anything. Instead, she looked at her watch to see how much time was left before she had to add the lacewing flies. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sirius looking at her as if he was expecting a witty comeback. He looked fairly disappointed when none came.

She looked at her watch again. It was now time to add the lacewing flies. Claudia then waved her wand and the potion was done. She split it into four phials.

"Now just add something from the person you want to transform into." She said. Sirius reached into his bag, took out some hair wrapped in individual pieces of paper, and did just that. The four phials lit up in different colours: rich purple, indescribable mixture of grey and beige, emerald and black.

"Wow. Didn't know it did that." Whispered Claudia, genuinely amazed. Sirius labelled the different coloured phials with an R, a P, a J and an S, before turning to Claudia again.

"How long is it going to last? The book is not very specific…" He asked.

"Depends on how well it's been brewed and how much you drink. These phials should last you few of hours, I think." Replied Claudia, before adding. "If you get caught. You didn't get this from me."

Sirius winked. "No one would believe that anyway…" He replied, laughing. "Anything else I should know?" He asked, fully focused again. Claudia through for a moment.

"It's only designed for human transformation. So, no animals, no vampires, giants or werewolves…" Claudia said. Sirius' eyes narrowed. He began to wrap up the jars in pieces of parchment and placing them carefully in his bag. He looked like he was deep in thought.

"Thanks for this." He mumbled. Something was clearly bothering him. He stood up and reached for the door.

"Are you coming too?" He asked. Claudia shook her head. She had grown to like the solitude of the cupboard.

"See you around." She said to Sirius, leaned against the wall and opened up her Transfiguration textbook.

Claudia continued to be in a foul mood for the next two weeks. She went from wanting to avoid Anthony at all cost to dying to spend time with him, just at the precise moment he had disappeared from her life. The Quidditch practices were rare and they kept missing each other in the common room.

She made no progress on the artefact. She has now read all the books on the history of Hogwarts, some of them twice. She searched the whole dungeon from top to bottom several times. Yet, she found absolutely nothing. She had no appetite and could barely sleep. People were beginning to notice that something was not quite right.

"What's up with you?" Asked Alice at breakfast one day, when Claudia kept stirring her porridge with a spoon until it got cold. She was looking in Marcus' direction, wondering when he might figure that the artefact was not hidden in the Astronomy Tower.

"Nothing. I'm fine." She whispered back at Alice, annoyed that her train of thought had been interrupted.

"Come off it." Said Alice, annoyed. "You barely speak. You barely eat. You look like you haven't slept in days..." She added.

"Stop mothering me." Claudia mumbled. Alice looked hurt for a fraction of a second, but soon became her usual determined self.

"I'm just worried about you. You look like a ghost..." She said, but Claudia interrupted her. She was quite angry now.

"I said stop mother..." She began to say but stopped suddenly.

"Ghosts!" She whispered and jumped up from her chair and began making her way out of the Great Hall.

"Come back! You can't just leave like that." Claudia could hear Alice shouting after her. She did not turn back and run straight to the dungeons.

Why did she not think of this before? The Bloody Baron - ghost of the Slytherin House - was the founders' contemporary. He must know where the apartments were.

The closer she got to the corridor where the Bloody Baron usually resided, the more doubts she had about her plan. It was risky. What if he was to tell someone? All the work they did to put Marcus off the scent would have been wasted. Filch might connect her to the collapse in the dungeons.

But she had no choice. Marcus was not going to spend the rest of his life searching the Astronomy Tower. This was her only chance to make progress.

Claudia skidded to a halt when she saw the Bloody Baron floating in the middle of the corridor.

"Good afternoon, Your Lordship." She said and gave a small curtsy. She did not know much about the Bloody Baron, but she knew he liked good manners. He measured her carefully.

"Good afternoon… Avery, is that correct?" He asked. Claudia nodded. When she did not move, the Bloody Baron frowned.

"What do you want?" He asked. Claudia did not have much time to come up with a plan, so she had to improvise.

"I'm doing an essay on Salazar Slytherin for the History of Magic. And I was wondering if you would be kind enough to answer couple of questions about him." The Bloody Baron did not look convinced, so Claudia added quickly. "There are just a couple of things I need. And I've heard Sir Nicholas is helping the Gryffindors…"

"That's quite unacceptable. I will have a word with him." Said the Bloody Baron. Then he paused and added. "What do you need to know?" She played on his competitive nature and it paid off. He was a Slytherin after all.

Claudia took out a piece of parchment and pretended to read her questions from it. Before she got to the question that she really wanted answered, she learnt that he made his own wand and was a skilled Legilimens. Claudia squinted really hard at the blank piece of parchment.

"And did he used to live in Professor Slughorn's rooms, or did he reside somewhere else?" She asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible. The Bloody Baron's eyes narrowed.

"You are not the first one to ask me this." He replied slowly. "Project for the History of Magic, you say?" He added, now sounding quite angry. He knew she was lying. And Claudia knew that. She had to think fast.

"Sorry." Whispered Claudia. "I heard that there was a treasure in his rooms. I thought that if I found it, I would really have the best History of Magic project." She added. The Bloody Baron gave her a twisted smile.

"Slytherin through and through... What do I get in return?" He asked. Claudia never felt such relief in her life. The Bloody Baron could be very scary.

"If I find it, I will give you the most valuable thing that the treasure holds?" She said, hopefully. The Baron looked sceptical. "I know that earthly possessions are no use to you. But think of the prestige it would bring. To have part of Slytherin's own treasure in your vault." She added quickly. The Bloody Baron looked like he was thinking about it. After a while, he gave a brief nod.

"We have an agreement. He had his own rooms. But they are long forgotten about. There is a secret passage just past the potions classroom. Behind a painting of the Great Lake." He said.

Claudia could not believe her luck. She thanked the Bloody Baron and began to walk away, but then she remembered something else he had said. She turned back.

"Your Lordship... You mentioned that I'm not the first person to look for Slytherin's rooms... Did you mean my father?" She asked. She was pretty sure her father was not the answer, but it seemed safer than to ask about Marcus or You-Know-Who. Bloody Baron did not look like he wanted to answer that particular question, at all.

"I remember your father." He said. It took a while before he spoke again. "Tom Riddle's muscle. He would do anything that boy had asked. Torture mudbloods for him. Take the blame in front of Professor Slughorn..." The Bloody Baron gave a nasty laugh. "Slughorn always hated Avery for corrupting young Tom. Of course, that was before his precious Tom showed his true colours." He added.

Claudia opened her mouth again, she was dying to know more, but the Baron cut her off.

"I've said enough." He said, put his hand on his puffed-up chest and floated away through the wall.

Claudia stood in the corridor for a good while mulling over the Bloody Baron's words. This would certainly explain Professor Slughorn's behaviour towards her. She always assumed he ignored her because she was not as popular or showy as the students that he usually surrounded himself with. But then again, he never particularly liked Marcus either. And he was both extremely popular and showy.

Claudia continued to think about Slughorn, as she walked back to the common room. She would need to wait a little longer before she went to look for the secret passage. The castle was still too full. It was time to get on with the homework.

She walked into the common room and was surprised to find a large group of her fellow Slytherins huddled in front of one of the walls. There was a lot of angry murmuring and pointing.

Claudia squeezed herself through the crowd to see what all the hassle was about. The wall was covered with an enormous Gryffindor banner and the words '_Slytherin sucks_!' were written in large red letters underneath it.

Claudia knew in an instant who did this. She remembered the trouble she went through to brew that Polyjuice Potion for Sirius and felt like she could punch him right now. She could not believe he would waste it on something this stupid.

At that exact moment, the room began to smell.

"Dungbombs!" Screamed a first-year. The assembled students just began to run away, when about a dozen dungbombs exploded all around the common room. One of them caught Claudia straight in the face.

Sirius was going to pay for this.


	10. Chapter 10 (Vindicated)

**Vindicated**

Claudia was furious with Sirius. She stormed into the muggle studies classroom, determined to give Sirius a piece of her mind. She sat at their desk, waiting.

But he only showed out twenty minutes late and sat down next to Claudia like nothing had happened. She looked at him with fury in her eyes. Sirius bit his lip. She could not believe it. He thought it was funny!

She turned away and began to scribble so furiously that she broke her quill.

She could hear Sirius snort. She looked at him again. But he avoided her eye contact.

Not because he was ashamed of himself, but because was about to burst out laughing.

This did not make Claudia any less mad at him. There was no way she was telling him about her conversation with the Bloody Baron now. He was such an annoying berk and she was so much better off without him.

The lesson had finished, but Claudia did not move. Sirius put his feet on the table, still rather pleased with himself. Claudia sat at their desk, arms folded, waiting for everyone to leave the classroom. When they did, she turned to Sirius.

"Did you really ask me to brew Polyjuice Potion so that you can explode couple of dungbombs in my common room?" She asked. She was shouting at him but did not care. Sirius grinned.

"It was more than just a couple…" He began to say. Claudia interrupted him.

"Really? You've got to be joking! I almost froze to death trying to get that fluxweed!" She stood up, grabbed her things, and began to walk out.

"Come on, Claude!" Said Sirius, reaching for her elbow. "We've just had a phial leftover. It wasn't the prank we needed it for, I promise you." He added.

"What was it then?" She asked, still very angry.

"I can't tell you that, sorry." Said Sirius. She scoffed and began to walk away again. "I would. I really would. But it's not my secret to tell." He added. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. There was something in his voice that made her believe him.

"You could have warned me." She sighed. Sirius did not respond; he was rifling through his bag.

"I hope this will be a good enough apology." He said, as he pulled out a small bag and handed it to Claudia.

"Are you trying to buy me off?" She quipped as she opened it. She looked into the bag and her jaw dropped. It was an Ashwinder egg and fragments of something silver. They must have been Occamy eggshells. She looked at Sirius in disbelief.

"Where did you get these?" She whispered.

"I have a friend. He can get stuff." Sirius replied.

"But these must have cost a fortune! I can't take them…" Claudia said, trying to give the bag back to Sirius.

"Don't worry about it." Replied Sirius. Claudia did not know what to say. She finally looked up at him and whispered.

"I sometimes forget that you are a Black." She said. Sirius looked embarrassed.

"Got to put the gold to good use." He replied, scratching his head.

Claudia took a deep breath. She did not really understand why, but she just could not be mad at him anymore. Normally, she could hold a grudge for weeks.

"I wasn't going to tell you this after last night. I know where to go to look for the artefact… The Bloody Baron told me. There is a secret passage by the potions classroom." Sirius' eyes widened.

"Wicked! Have you checked it out yet?" He asked.

"I was going to check it out yesterday, but instead I had to spend the whole evening washing dungbombs out from my hair." Replied Claudia, her voice rising again.

"Your hair can't be that bad." Sirius said and pulled her into a tight hug. He smelled her hair and almost instantly started retching. "That's really bad… James will be pleased. He modified these to be extra strong." Said Sirius, as he released her slowly.

"You will pay for this." Hissed Claudia, but she could not help laughing. For the first time in weeks.

"Should we go check it out tomorrow? I've got more detention tonight." Said Sirius.

"Still? How much detention did you get?" Asked Claudia.

"Different detention." He mumbled and scratched his head. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"You better hope I'm not going to tell anyone about the Polyjuice. Or you'd never get out of detention again." She said.

"Thanks." Sirius mouthed silently. "I was so tempted last night…" Claudia said, rolling her eyes. Also, did you call me Claude earlier?" She asked.

"Is that weird?" Asked Sirius, with a tentative smile. Claudia shook her head.

"It's not weird. Just different." She replied. She was feeling bit better. She finally had something to go on in her search for the artefact. She had the ingredients to brew the Felix Felicis. There was just one thing left to do. Apologise to Alice.

Claudia found her best friend at dinner.

"Can I join you?" She asked. Alice still looked very annoyed but nodded. "I'm sorry." Whispered Claudia. Alice sighed.

"I know. I wish you didn't hold everything in all the time. And then just blow up like that." She said. Alice was too kind to be annoyed with her friend for long.

"I'll try..." Said Claudia. They were sitting alone. And there was no one within earshot. Claudia took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do about Anthony. I could swear we had a moment after the last Quidditch game. But what do I know?!" She said.

"Tell me exactly what happened." Alice said, with a cautious smile. That was not difficult, Claudia had replayed the events of that evening in her head dozens of times. When she finished, Alice put her head in her hands.

"You're useless at this. For future reference. That was a moment!" She said, hardly able to contain her laughter. Claudia grimaced.

"Noted." She replied, also now laughing. She hoped Alice was right.

"That was easy… What's next?" Asked Alice. Claudia stopped smiling.

"Marcus..." She whispered. She could see Alice's mood change too.

"You have been looking into whatever he is up to, haven't you?" She asked, pointedly. Claudia looked straight at Alice and nodded slightly.

"He's doing something for You-Know-Who. I'm sure of it. Someone has to stop him." Claudia whispered, urgently.

"Just write a letter to the Ministry. You know they're looking for information." Alice said. Claudia was going to tell her about her father position. About how no one would believe her. But Alice spoke again.

"Just promise me you will not put yourself in danger." She added. Claudia really saw no point continuing the conversation. Alice was never going to change her mind. She changed the subject instead.

"Going back… What am I supposed to do about Anthony?" Claudia asked. Alice definitely noticed that Claudia did not make any promises about leaving Marcus be, but ignored it. She was probably as sick as Claudia was about them fighting.

"What do you actually want? Do you want a relationship?" Alice asked. Claudia was lost for words. She had not really thought about it.

"What does that even mean?" She asked, trying to make a joke out of it.

"Are you serious?" Asked Alice. She did not wait for an answer and continued. "It means that you care for someone more than you care for yourself, that you trust them with your life, that you're honest..." Alice frowned a little. "Are you sure you're ready for that?" She added significantly.

"I said I was sorry..." Claudia whispered, before continuing. "I barely know the guy. How am I supposed to know whether I can trust him?"

"Maybe you ought to talk to him and figure that out?" Alice said, shaking her head. That sounded almost too simple. Claudia thought some more about what Alice had said.

"How do you even know all of this stuff?" She asked, finally.

"I talk to my mum a lot." Replied Alice.

"You talk to your mother about this?" Claudia asked, aghast. She could not imagine anything more excruciating.

"Don't you?" Replied Alice, surprised.

Claudia thought about it. Growing up, she could never be honest with anyone around her. Let alone trust them with how she fell.

"Not really how our family works. Never has." Claudia said after a long pause. Alice looked at her earnestly.

"You never talk about your childhood..." Alice said.

"What's there to talk about." Claudia smirked. "I wasn't what they hoped for, so they tried to beat it out of me. I'm sure it's same for everyone." She said.

Alice gasped.

"Your parents used to hit you? Why didn't you say anything?" She asked, looking astonished.

"Isn't that what all parents do?" Claudia asked. She did not really understand the reaction.

"No! No, they don't." Alice shook her head vigorously. She looked like she was almost on a verge of tears. That had hit Claudia hard. She had only spoke about this to Sirius and he was clearly in the same boat. She felt embarrassed. She definitely was not going to tell Alice that her use of the past tense was somewhat premature. Alice would insist that Claudia tells Slughorn, or the Minister of Magic. Claudia could not think of anything more humiliating.

"That explains a lot… Is that why everyone else actually enjoys Mothers' Day?" Claudia asked, desperately wanting to make is sound like a joke, but her voice was breaking.

Alice did not say anything and gave Claudia a long hug instead.

"Enough about me." Said Claudia, wiping a tear or two. Alice paid no attention to that. She was still looking at her friend intently.

"I've never seen you like this." She said, finally.

"Surprised I have feelings?" Claudia asked, with the weakest of smiles.

"And she's back…" Alice replied.

Claudia laughed and hugged her friend back. It felt good to talk to Alice like this. Although she was not quite prepared to share the whole truth with her, not today anyway.

The following day, she met Sirius by the Potions classroom. They found the painting of the Great Lake with ease. Claudia peeled the frame away from the wall and pointed her wand at the stonework.

"_Revelio_". She whispered. Nothing happened. Sirius stepped up, tapped his wand on the wall and mumbled.

"_Dissendium_".

An outline of a door began to emerge. Claudia looked at him suspiciously, but Sirius shrugged as if opening secret passages was part of this daily routine.

Claudia grabbed the silver handle and pushed the door open. It was unlocked. They entered a spacious room.

"That's it." Said Claudia, practically jumping up and down. It was identical to the room in the painting from the book. They searched the room. They clearly were not the first to the do that. The room was completely cleaned out. Drawers in the desk were left open and empty. Same went for the large chest of drawers under the stained-glass windows.

Claudia was beginning to get frustrated, when she spotted heavy curtains in the corner of the room. She dragged them open to reveal another door. This one was locked.

"Alohomora." She whispered more in hope than expectation. But the lock clicked, and the door flew open. She stepped into the second room, Sirius following closely behind her.

They were standing in Slytherin's bedroom. There was an enormous four-poster bed in the far corner. But that was not what caught their eyes.

The floor of the bedroom was caved in. Almost as if someone partially collapsed the structure that was supporting it...

"So, this is what was above that cellar. Explains the identical stonework." Said Sirius with a smirk. "What are you up to?" He added abruptly when he saw what Claudia was doing. She was lying down on the floor, edging closer and closer to the caved in area.

"Can't you see? There is something that looks like a metal box sticking out of the rubble." She replied. Sirius took few steps towards the hole.

"Careful!" Shouted Claudia. "You'll put too much pressure on it. Get on the floor." She added. Sirius rolled his eyes but did as he was told.  
They were lying next to each other, as close as they dare got to the metal box. It was unmistakably a safe.

"It must have been hidden under the floor..." Said Claudia.

"That's why it doesn't look like it's been emptied, like the rest of this place." Sirius finished her sentence.

"Exactly." Claudia replied, nodding vigorously. She continued. "If we didn't try looking for it downstairs, we wouldn't have found it. That makes me feel so much better." She sighed with relief. Sirius smiled.

"I told you not to worry about the detention."

"That's not what... Oh, never mind." Claudia said, blushing. She could barely contain her chuckles.

"What's not what?" Asked Sirius. "What did you mean?!" He added. Claudia bit her lip.

"I just hate being wrong... This kind of makes me right." She replied, with a chuckle.

"It does not!" Sirius said, rolling his eyes. Claudia opened her mouth, but Sirius cut her short. "Merlin, give me strength. Can we just focus on the safe?! I'm not sure how long the floor will be able to support your ego."  
That was bit rich coming from Sirius, Claudia thought to herself. But he was not going to spoil her mood. She still felt vindicated.

They examined the safe. There were ten concentric circles on one side, all covered in ancient runes.

"Blast it?" Sirius asked. Claudia hoped he was joking but was not quite sure.

"Brute force is not going to help you here. It's a code." Whispered Claudia, as she began to investigate the circles. They could all turn. "We won't solve this today. Can you get me some parchment?" She asked.

"Still think we should try brute force..." Sirius mumbled, as he crawled away.

When he got back with a piece of parchment, Claudia carefully copied the runes on the piece of paper. She moved some loose stones over the safe just in case anyone else came snooping. She looked at her watch.

"It's almost curfew. We better get back. Meet on the fourth floor Saturday morning?" She asked.

"You didn't used to be this bossy…" Sirius muttered, as they walked back out. Claudia barely heard him. She could not stop staring at the runes.  
The abandoned corridor on the fourth floor was slowly becoming one of Claudia's favourite places in the castle. There was a large alcove with a huge window and a great view over Hogwarts grounds. She smuggled some pillows there, so it was comfortable too. She was sitting on the floor, copying letters from her sketch on several circles of parchment in different sizes. She pinned them all together in the centre to create a replica of the mechanism. She used English alphabet to make it easier to decode. She just started playing the wheel, when Sirius turned up.

"What's that?" He asked, looking at hew creation. Claudia did not pay much attention.

"What words do you think Slytherin would use to open his safe?" She asked him instead.

"I see." Said Sirius, as he said down next to her. "That's genius." He added. Claudia gave him a brief smile.

They tried everything they could think of. Pure-blood, snake, venom, Slytherin, adder... Nothing worked. The words were either too short, too long, or the wheel did not contain the right letters.

Over the next two weeks, Claudia kept playing with the wheel. She became completely obsessed by it. It was the first thing she looked at when she woke up and the last thing she did before she went to sleep. She kept dreaming about it. Once, she even scrunched it in anger and threw it out of the window of the library. She regretted it instantly and raced down the hundreds of steps to get it back. Still, she got nowhere.

She could not stand the thought of looking at it for one more second, yet she just could not stop.

She decided to brew the Felix Felicis in the Slytherin's apartments too. She told herself that it was safer than the storage cupboard. After all, she would need to leave it there to stew over the summer holidays.

The real reason, however, was that she wanted an excuse to go there every day to check, double-check and triple-check that she copied the runes correctly.


	11. Chapter 11 (Good Snake)

**Good Snake**

Slytherin's final Quidditch match against Hufflepuff was just two weeks away. No one was feeling particularly anxious about it. Slytherin was in such a good position going into the game that even Parkinson was beginning to relax. So much so that he organised a team bonding session in the Three Broomsticks during the spring Hogsmeade weekend.

The whole team was sitting at the back of the pub, trying very hard not to celebrate their victory prematurely. Macmillan and Burke were in the middle of a heated argument about the firing of the Chudley Cannon's manager. Sick of listening to them, Parkinson turned to Claudia.

"Which team do you support, Avery?" He asked. Macmillan laughed.

"Better not be the Tornadoes, like your brother." He said. Claudia shook her head.

"Hollyhead Harpies." She said. It was Parkinson who was chuckling now.

"No surprise there." He said. It took Claudia a while to understand. She never paid much attention to the fact she was the only girl on the team.

"So what? They're good." She shrugged.

Claudia's eyes floated towards Anthony, who was shifting uncomfortably. Macmillan poked him in the ribs.

"You don't like the Harpies, do you?" He said, jokingly. Anthony mumbled something inaudible. He clearly did not want to get into it.

"Why wouldn't you like them?" Burke pitched in.

"I just don't think that women should be playing professional Quidditch." Anthony said quietly, trying extremely hard not to look at Claudia. And rightly so. She was shocked!

"Why? Women can be as good at Quidditch, sometimes better!" She said, very sharply. The rest of the team fell silent. Some of them chuckled. She was not only the only girl on the team, she was also the youngest. And usually kept herself to herself around the rest of them.

"Well, I wouldn't want my wife doing that. It just would be very hard to play Quidditch and raise children at the same time." He replied, defending himself. He was, however, completely red in the face.

Claudia rolled her eyes. It was as if her mother had spoken. She opened her mouth to tell Anthony exactly how stupid he was, but Parkinson spoke first.

"That's enough. No more talk of Quidditch teams... This was supposed to be a team bonding session. And I would quite like a team at the end of it." He barked.

No one dared to argue with him. They finished their drinks and, one by one, the team began to disappear back to the castle.

"I think the Harpies are cool." Whispered Julius to Claudia, as they were walking out of the Three Broomsticks. She gave him a brief smile. She could not believe that she ever liked Anthony. All the feelings she ever had for him were gone in an instant. She was surprised how little it bothered her. If anything, it made her quite happy.

Claudia caught up with Alice at dinner that evening.

"How were your drinks?" Alice asked, seeing her friend grin, she continued. She sounded very eager. "Did you speak to Anthony?"

"Oh, I spoke to Anthony…" Claudia replied.

"And?" Alice could barely contain herself.

"And… he's a complete idiot. I literally could not care less about him anymore." Claudia said, smiling. Alice was not convinced.

"For real? You know how you sometimes have the tendency to dismiss people quite quickly…" She began to say, carefully. Claudia got usually quite annoyed when Alice pointed out her character flaws. But this time she laughed and began to recount their conversation in the Three Broomsticks.

"Fine, he's an idiot." Replied Alice, laughing with her.

Claudia could not wait to play that last game. It was her Birthday. All the pressure was gone, and she could fly freely. And it showed. She had an incredible game and Slytherin wiped the floor with Hufflepuff. It was still possible that Ravenclaw would overtake them, but only in the realm of mathematics. No one believed that it could happen in the real world. Even Slughorn's victory speech was bearable.

He caught up with Claudia afterwards.

"I've been very impressed, Miss Avery. Not just on the Quidditch pitch. But in the classroom too." He said. Claudia grinned and thank him. "You seem so much more confident this year. Keep it up and you'll do very well." Slughorn added and began to walk away.

She knew he meant it, but she could still sense a degree of uncertainty in his voice. Or perhaps surprise. Claudia swallowed hard.

"Professor… I am not my father." She said, without really knowing where it came from. The Quidditch result much have gone into her head.

Slughorn looked taken back for a moment but composed himself quickly. He smiled at her.

"Good." He whispered and disappeared into the crowd.

When she saw Slughorn in potions the next day, he acted noticeably warmer towards her. He even complimented a potion that Claudia knew full well was not her best. How could it, when she – and the rest of Slytherin – barely got a wink of sleep last night. She was pleased regardless.

It will sure be useful to have the good will of her head of house as she goes into her OWLs year, Claudia though to herself as she was packing up her things after potions.

As she turned to leave the classroom, she noticed Sirius waiting for her by the door.

"Did I see you eating birthday cake in the Great Hall earlier?" He asked with a cheeky smile. Claudia nodded. Sirius reached into his bag and handed her a leather-bound notebook.

Claudia opened it. It was blank.

"Thanks?" She said tentatively, unsure what kind of present it was. Sirius laughed.

"Take out your quill." He said and took out another, identical notebook. "Do you remember when I said we needed a better way of communicating?" He asked. Claudia did remember it very well. James seemed grumpy for days after he found that note she wrote to Sirius.

Sirius opened his notebook and scribbled something in it. Claudia still had no idea what he was getting at.

"Look into yours." He said with a smile. She did just that and to her astonishment, Sirius' handwriting had appeared on the first page.

It read '_Happy Birthday_'.

"That's amazing. Does it really work?" Claudia asked. Sirius nodded. She took out her quill. She was going to replied with a simple 'thank you' but thought better of it - too predictable if it was a trick item. But could it really be the real thing? She had read about them… She began to write.

_'Ta. I'm pretty sure these have been outlawed because of Grindelwald. Illegal merchandise – the best Birthday present a girl could ever want'. _

Sirius looked into his notebook.

"So you know what this is then." He said, with a laugh.

"Where did you get this? I thought they were all destroyed." Asked Claudia, astonished that it had worked. Sirius shrugged.

"Not important… Do you have any plans for the day?" He asked, looking rather keen to change the subject. Claudia sighed.

"Library… It's the downside of having a Birthday so close to the start of exams." She whispered. They walked back to the library together. Even Sirius had to study eventually.

The demands of revision were truly relentless. Between studying and obsessing about the code to Slytherin's safe, Claudia did not know where the time went. Every day, she was in the library until it shut.

One evening, it was Transfiguration, Ancient Runes the next.

Suddenly, it hit her. She turned to Pauline, who top of the class in History of Magic.

"When did Slytherin teach here?" She asked. Pauline blinked couple of times.

"Until the beginning of the eleventh century, I think." Replied Pauline, before adding. "Panicking much about the exam?" Claudia barely heard her, she was halfway across the library, her trusted wheel in hand.

"It must be in Old English. I just need the dictionary. How stupid am I?! This is so obvious." She was muttering under her breath. She frantically searched the shelves in the Ancient Runes sections. She grabbed an Old English dictionary, hid at the end of the aisle and began searching.

"Have you lost your mind completely?" She heard Sirius' voice say. She looked up.

"Good. You're here. Didn't see you." She said quickly.

"You run right past me!" Sirius sniggered. "Muttering something about Old English?" He added, as he sat down next to Claudia.

"Must be. The timing fits. I want to go through some of the obvious words again." She said and shoved the dictionary into his hand.

"This is so tedious. Can't we just blast it?" Sirius asked, impatiently. Claudia shook her head. Sirius groaned, but began flicking through the dictionary again. They tried all the types of snakes, nothing. Pure-blood was too long.

"Hang on. Try this." Whispered Sirius and began spelling. "A-N-D-S-U-N-D-N-E-S." Claudia was turning the wheel as fast as she could.

It worked, the wheels lines up perfectly to spell this word.

They looked at each other.

"Purity." Whispered Sirius, before Claudia could even ask what it meant.

"See you in the dungeon in ten?" Claudia asked. Sirius nodded and disappeared. Claudia went back to her table, made some excuse, packed her things, and run to the dungeons as fast as she could.

Sirius was already there, waiting by the painting. They lied down next to the safe again, propping themselves on their elbows. Claudia began turning the mechanism on the safe. As she moved the last letter into place, the mechanism clicked, and the wheels began to disappear into each other. It was opening.

They both shuffled even closer to see inside.

"Bloody hell. There is a second door." Said Sirius angrily, looking at a metal snake curled around a knob. He reached for it and tried to pry it open forcefully. In an instant, the metal snake lifted its head and bit Sirius.

"Ouch!" He screamed, pulled away and began examining his finger. Claudia let out the tiniest laugh. Sirius shoot her an annoyed look. She grabbed his finger and looked at it closely.

"Relax. If it was really poisonous, you'd probably be dead by now." She said. Sirius did not look convinced.

"Impressive enchantment, though." Claudia said, as she moved even closer to look the snake. The floor underneath her creaked.

"Wonderful." Said Sirius sarcastically. Claudia paid little attention to him. She noticed that the snake's head was shinier than the rest of his body. She stroked it.

"Good snake." She whispered, mainly just to annoy Sirius, who was still sulking. To her astonishment, the snaked bowed and slithered away. Claudia pulled on the knob and the safe flew open.

"You've got to be kidding me." Said Sirius, in amazement. Claudia laughed and plunged her arm into the safe.

"Turns out, Slytherin had a sense of humour." She said as she searched the inside of the lopsided safe. And then she felt something. Something that was of a similar shape to the artefact in the picture. She grabbed it with her fingers and pulled it out. She could not believe her eyes. They had found it!

Sirius stopped sucking on his injured finger and looked first at the artefact and then at Claudia, who was examining the artefact in her hand.

"I thought it would be bigger." She said. Sirius chuckled.

"I have to confess... I was not even convinced it was real." He said, sounding fairly amazed. Claudia looked up at him. She must have been really happy, as she could not even come up with anything snarky in response. She smiled.

"Thanks for helping me anyway." She said, earnestly.

"Can I have a look?" Asked Sirius and shuffled closer to her. Claudia kept the artefact in her palm and put it under Sirius' nose. She did not quite feel like letting go of it completely.

"The runes around the edge must be the incantation." Sirius said, as he run his fingers around the outer edge of the artefact. Then, he moved his hand towards Claudia's fingers and closed them over the artefact.

"What now?" He asked, as he held her hand tight.

"Now, we destroy it." Said Claudia and began to crawl away from the edge of the hole. She scrambled to her feet. Sirius did not look convinced. If anything, he looked bit confused. Claudia laughed.

"Don't tell me you want to test it first?" She asked.

"Why not?" He shrugged when he too got on his feet. Claudia opened her mouth to protest, but this time it was Sirius who was laughing. "Relax, I'm only joking…" He said. Claudia closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Sometimes it's really hard to tell." She whispered.

They walked back through to Slytherin's study. Sirius surveyed the room.

"All the spells I know that could potentially work are too loud for here. We'll need to find somewhere else…" He said. Claudia put the artefact into her pocket.

"But not today." She said, yawning. "I need to sleep." She was so tired.

She could not remember the last time she did not wake up several times a night, having had a nightmare about the runes wheel.

A week or so went by, filled almost entirely by relentless revision. The only respite was the Gryffindor – Ravenclaw game that confirmed Slytherin as the winners of the Quidditch cup.

Claudia could not wait to finish her final exam, then she could celebrate properly. She was lying in bed, doing last minute revision for Charms. She moved around some parchment and noticed that the notebook she got from Sirius was covered in tree leaves. It could mean he had written something.

She opened it with anticipation. There were just two lines.

_'Congratulations. Proud of you.' _

_'Please don't tell James I wrote this.' _

Claudia chuckled. She picked up her quill.

_'I'm counting on your support in next year's opener. Will get you a Slytherin shirt.' _

She put the notebook away and tried to study but could not help by glance at it every thirty seconds. Eventually, the tree appeared again.

_'Good grief. I cannot belief I'm friends with a Slytherin.' _

She smiled to herself and begin writing again.

_'Friends? Is that what we are now?' _

She chewed the end of her quill, waiting for a response. None came for couple of minutes. Then, it appeared.

_'Of course. Do you think I would get hit by a collapsing ceiling or bitten by a metal snake for someone who wasn't my friend?" _

Claudia flicked through the blank pages, thinking what to write. She began to scribble again.

_'A knight in shining armour you are… But that snake was your fault. Harmless if treated properly…' _

She stared at the page for good few minutes and when nothing else appeared, she quickly added a 'good night', tugged the notebook under hew pillow, threw the rest of her books and papers on the floor and tried to go to sleep. Eventually, she managed it.

The next morning, as she was walking into her Charms exam, she could feel someone catch-up with her and whisper in her ear.

"No snake is ever harmless." It was Sirius. She turned to him and grinned.

"Me?" She pointed at herself and mouthed.

"You, least of all." Sirius chuckled. He looked around to make sure no one was listening to them. "I thought of a place. Meet by the gamekeeper's hut. Saturday at ten." He whispered.

"OK." Said Claudia, before adding. "Good luck in the exam." Sirius smirked.

"Won't need it." He whispered. Claudia shook her head. He really could be insufferable. She made her way to her desk and spotted Julius, who was sitting next to her and eyeing her suspiciously.

"Was he bothering you?" He asked.

"Who? Black?" Replied Claudia, trying to laugh it off. "Just Quidditch banter. Their lot is not taking it well." She added. Julius scoffed.

"Serves them right…" He just had the time to add before they were called to order.

On Saturday, Claudia met Sirius on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She did not like the idea one bit. She hated magical creatures and was terrified of setting a foot in there. Not to mention that it was forbidden. It was literally in the name. But she sure was not going to admit her fears to Sirius. He would probably spend the whole day trying to scare her to death.

The grounds were still empty, as most students were enjoying a post-exam lie-in, and it was not difficult for them to slip into the forest unnoticed. They walked for about ten minutes before they got to a small forest clearing.

"Shall we?" Asked Sirius. Claudia looked around nervously.

"Fine." She mumbled and tossed the artefact to the ground.

They took turns trying all the spells that they knew or read upon.

_"Expulso!"_

_"Reducto!"_

_"Confringo!"_

Nothing worked. All they managed to do was to create a rather large crater in the forest floor. The artefact did not have a scratch on it.

"Can I try blasting it?" Asked Sirius, his eyes twinkling.

"Fine." Shrugged Claudia. She knew it was a stupid idea, but she had nothing better. And there was no point arguing with him.

_"Bombarda Maxima!"_ Shouted Sirius. The force of the spell propelled the artefact into the nearby bushes. Sirius swore under his breath and run after it. Claudia followed him, furious.

They spent the next half an hour on their knees, searching manically for the artefact. No spell would summon it or reveal its location.

"Is it such a bad thing? You-Know-Who will never find it here." Said Sirius after a while.

"Keep looking." Barked Claudia. She was not going to lose it in some stupid bushes after spending the best part of the year searching for it.

"Should we try anything else?" Asked Sirius with a huge grin, holding the artefact in his hand. Claudia snatched it from him.

"Not a chance." She said, putting it in her pocket. She was desperate to get out of the forest.

"I'll keep looking over the summer. Maybe I'll stumble onto something again." She added. Suddenly, Sirius looked bit worried.

"Do you think that's a good idea? Taking it with you to your parents' house?" He asked. Claudia thought for a minute. It was smaller than the necromancy book and much easier to conceal.

"It'll be fine." She said, finally. Sirius did not look convinced.

"Promise to write to me if it ever looks like it's not going to be fine?" He asked. Claudia smirked.

"And what are you going to do? Come and rescue me?" She replied, sarcastically. Sirius did not laugh.

"Claude! Promise me." There was urgency in his voice.

"Fine." Claudia whispered. It was touching that he cared for her well-being, but she did not need another Alice in her life.

The school year was over.

Claudia was fighting her way through the packed aisle on the Hogwarts Express, the artefact carefully concealed on a chain around her neck. At first, she was bit disappointed that they did not manage to destroy it before the end of the year. But now that she had few days to think about it, she was almost glad.

She enjoyed looking for the artefact with Sirius. It was meaningful and he was good company. If they managed to destroy it, she would probably not get to talk to him at all. He was always up to something with his friends, or busy with his army of admirers. Just as she thought that, she saw him.

Lounging in a compartment with his fellow Gryffindors, a butterbeer in hand. He raised his bottle to her and winked. Claudia waved back at him discreetly, but clearly not discreetly enough. A girl sitting next to Sirius noticed her and was visibly bothered by this. She touched Sirius's arm and resumed talking to him. Claudia rolled her eyes. She had no idea who that was and was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up.

Maybe one day, he would realise he deserved better.


	12. Chapter 12 (Uninvited Guests)

**Uninvited Guests**

It had been three weeks since Claudia was back with her parents. They could not have been clearer about the ground rules for this summer. She was not allowed to do anything. She had to practically beg them to be allowed out of the house at all. Claudia wanted nothing more than to go and spend some time with Alice's family, or even just to go and browse Flourish and Blotts. But her parents were clear. If she stepped out of line, she was going to find herself holding onto a portkey straight to Bavaria within the hour. Nothing was worth having to do that again.

Sky brought the mail into the dining room one morning. She placed a stack of letters by her Master's plate and then gave a solitary one to Claudia, who opened it eagerly. It was from Alice, wondering whether Claudia might be able to make it over after all. Claudia looked up from the letter at her mother. They could hardly punish her for asking.

"Mum." Claudia said timidly. "Could I go and visit Alice? Even for just a day?" She asked. Cassandra bit her lip and looked towards her husband. They must have argued about this before. Frederick looked up from the letter he was reading and shook his head.

"No. I thought I was clear about this." He replied sternly, before adding. "You are not to speak to that girl." Claudia closed her eyes. Predictable, but worth a try.

"The Adler girl is the least of your problems." Marcus said maliciously. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"We've been through this a million times… I don't care that Eleanor's and Lucy's parents are muggles." She said.

"I'm not talking about the mudbloods." Marcus scoffed at Claudia, before turning to their father. "She's friends with the Blacks' delinquent now."

Claudia swallowed hard. Regulus must have told him. Or Marcus had seen them around the castle. Hopefully, he had no clue what they were really up to. Frederick did not say anything, just stared at Claudia. Cassandra filled the awkward silence.

"Really? You're friends with Sirius?" She said, her eyes twinkling. Claudia did not like where this was heading.

"Not really. Just doing a project together." She said, shaking her head. Cassandra looked seriously disappointed.

"You should hear Walburga talk about that boy. He's trouble." Frederick said when he caught his wife's eye. He clearly was not convinced. Cassandra smiled encouragingly.

"Who doesn't get into bit of trouble at that age. He is from a good family. I'm sure Walburga will get to be proud of him one day." She said. This made Claudia chuckle. She was sure that whatever Sirius was going to do with his life, he was going to make damn sure that his mother would not be proud of him.

"Speaking of which, we have Orion's birthday party next week... I can't wait." Said Cassandra, excitedly. Frederick looked at his wife and then at his daughter.

"You will stay here this time. I don't want you anywhere near that boy." He said in Claudia's direction.

"Or the gazebo." Added Marcus under his breath. No one laughed. The embarrassment caused by the gazebo incident was still too fresh.

Cassandra did not look happy at all with Frederick's dictat, but did not dare contradict him. Claudia's heart sank. Normally, she would be delighted to skip one of those stupid parties. Not this time though. She would have quite like to see at least one friendly face. Sirius never turned up to these things, but Julius and Emmanuel were bound to be there. Even Regulus would have done.

On the day of the party, Claudia was sitting at her desk, watching her parents and Marcus leave the house from the window of her room. She was so bored that she decided to study for her OWLs. She was searching for her potions book, when she stumbled upon the notebook that Sirius gave her last year. She noticed that it was covered in tree leaves and opened it eagerly.

Sirius' handwriting had appeared on the first page.

_"Are you coming to the party today?"_

Claudia picked up her quill and replied.

_"Been grounded. Sorry."_

She looked at the page for a minute or two, but nothing happened. She left the notebook open on her desk and continued to read. After ten minutes or so, a new message had appeared.

_"Damn. Might have considered making an appearance… Any plans?" _

Claudia looked around at her textbooks. This was not the most glamorous thing she could be doing right now.

_"Does studying for OWLs count?" _

She wrote after hesitating a little. A single-word response emerged on the page instantly.

_"Lame." _

Claudia chuckled and buried her face again in Potions. After about half an hour, she heard a tap. Then another one. She looked out of her window and saw Sirius on the street, throwing gravel at it. She gestured at him to stay there and run down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, as she closed the front door carefully behind her.

"I'm bored. You're bored..." Replied Sirius with a smirk.

"I'm not bored. I actually find studying quite interesting." Claudia begin to say, but Sirius was having none of it.

"Claude, you're studying for your OWLs on a day like this. You're bored… Let's get out of here." He replied.

Claudia really did not want to go back to Bavaria. But she was dying to get out of the house. She convinced herself that Sky would not tell on her, took one last look at the front door and they set of towards Hampstead Heath.

"How do you even know where I live?" Claudia asked as they turned the corner.

"Mother's address book…" Replied Sirius. "Why have you been grounded anyway?" He added.

"My father thinks you're a bad influence." Claudia muttered, blushing. Sirius laughed.

"Not this time, I'm not. Makes a nice change..." He said and smirked at her.

It was a hot day. They found shelter under the branches of an old willow by one of the ponds.

"How about your summer?" Asked Claudia as she took off her trainers, sank her feet into the cold water and laid down on the grass. Sirius shrugged.

"Nothing much. Hanging around with James, mostly." He replied.

"What about your girlfriend?" Claudia asked, smirking a little. Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"I think we broke up… Not quite sure. I hope so anyway." He said with a sigh. Claudia shook her head.

"I'm surprised that they all want to keep dating you. Surely, they must realise that you're not exactly boyfriend material." She replied. Sirius stretched across the grass next to her, looking dejected.

"I'm not sure they care. Not one of them likes me for me. It's just a game to them." He whispered.

It was weir hearing Sirius talk like that. She always thought that he was enjoying the attention from all these girls. Claudia did not know what to say. She was not good at talking about this stuff. She mostly just nodded when Alice told her things. Luckily, Sirius spoke again.

"You aren't like other girls, you know… I can actually have a conversation with you. And most importantly, you don't do that annoying thing when you curl your hair and flutter your eye lashes." That made Claudia giggle.

"Like this?" She asked, playing with her hair, and blinking profusely.

"Exactly like that." Sirius laughed.

Claudia looked at her watch. It was getting late.

"I have to get back. Otherwise, I'll be in so much trouble." She said. Sirius lifted his head and propped himself up on his elbow.

"Why do you care? You hate you parents. Yet you stick by their rules, study hard… I don't get it." He said. Claudia shrugged.

"Your rebellion is causing trouble. Mine is not being someone's trophy wife..." She replied, as she sat up and began hastily tying up her shoelaces.

"Should I go with you?" Asked Sirius. Claudia looked at her watch again.

"I'll need to run, I think…" She said, squeezed Sirius' shoulder and used it to push herself up. "See you at school." She added and run back to the house as fast as she could.

Claudia successfully avoided Sky and managed to sit back down at her desk just as the rest of her family had returned. She got lucky.

Nothing at all interesting happened over the next few weeks. Claudia gave up on the summer altogether. She did her homework and read. She searched the family's library top to bottom for any hints on how to destroy the artefact and found nothing. She could not wait to get back into the Hogwarts Library, or even a book shop, to keep looking.

There was, however, one more thing that she could not get out of her mind. Her Hogwarts letter. Normally, it just contained a book list, but maybe - just maybe – this time it might include a prefect's badge too. Claudia tried very hard not to get her hopes up too much. But she could not stop thinking about what it would be like. She did well in her exams, she was on the Quidditch team. And Slughorn seemed to have been warming up to her too.

When Claudia got to breakfast the following morning, her letter was there. She ripped it open and a shiny prefect's badge fell on the table with a loud thud. It was not excitement that filled her at that point, it was relief…

If she were to be honest with herself, she would have been gutted if she did not get it. No one in Slytherin deserved it more, she was sure of that.

Marcus was the first to notice and frowned. He never made prefect. It was like the Quidditch try-outs all over again.

"I guess congratulations are in order." Marcus managed to get out of him. He was not sporting a Head Boy badge, which was no surprise to anyone, except perhaps Marcus himself.

Cassandra stood up and went to hug her daughter.

"We have a Slytherin prefect in the family! First one, as far as I can remember." She said jubilantly. But Claudia's father could not bring himself to say anything at all. Claudia knew it was killing him. He wanted his son to be the prefect. He wanted to be proud of him, but Marcus was a buffoon and Frederick knew it.

He always treated Claudia like she was her mother's to look after. She was not meant to be good for anything other than pretty dresses and entertaining guests. She certainly was not meant to grow up to fraternise with mudbloods and blood-traitors, as her father liked to call her friends. And now, she was a prefect too.

If Frederick knew that Claudia was the one who found the artefact, it would kill him. But not before he would have killed her. It made he happy. She loved proving her father wrong.

Claudia's parents kept postponing their trip to Diagon Alley. Probably to punish her. Or to make sure she did not run away. Finally, just one day before she was due back on the Hogwarts Express, it was time to go. Her mother still watched her like a hawk, making sure she did not wonder off too far. Claudia could not wait to be back at Hogwarts. To regain some form of freedom.

Claudia finally managed to shake off her mother in front of Madame Malkin's and made her way to Flourish and Blotts. She always liked browsing through the bookshop. But this year, she had other plans. She went straight into the Defence against the Dark Arts section. They must have something about dark artefacts. She searched the bookshelf as fast as she could and there it was: _Defence against Dangerous Artefacts: A Practical Guide by Conan McAllister_. She grabbed it from the bookshelf and began looking through it.

"Avery." Someone said from behind her. Claudia was startled, she turned and dropped the book.

It was Severus. He moved faster than she ever saw him move and dived for the book. Claudia tried reaching it first, but she was too slow. Severus was already holding it in his pale fingers. He looked at the book and then at Claudia.

"Thanks." She said sharply and snatched it from his hands. "Extra research for Defence against Dark Arts." She added but could hear her voice shaking. Severus was too smart to believe her. It was just a matter of time before he told Marcus.

Severus did not say anything. He turned on the spot and walked away. Claudia was shaken. Of course, it occurred to her that Marcus might find out what she was up to. But not like this. She would be so much safer if it happened back in Hogwarts. She touched a small bulge under her shirt. What was she even thinking taking the artefact back with her this summer?

She quickly put the book on artefacts back on the shelf and went to collect her school books. Her mother caught up with her by the till.

"Muggle studies? I thought you switched to Divination." Cassandra said, as she saw what Claudia had picked out. Claudia frowned.

"You switched me to Divination. I switched back." She replied, sharply. Anger was Claudia's natural reaction to anything she could not control. Her mother's lips narrowed. Cassandra hated public arguments. Her image was everything to her. Claudia knew that she was going to pay for her impertinence later. But she could not care less. A slap in a face for talking back at her mother would be nothing compared to what her father and Marcus would do to her if they knew the truth about the artefact.

Claudia just needed to get through one last evening in that house. She hid her wand in her shirt sleeve as she went down for dinner. She knew that she could only use magic outside school in life-threatening circumstances. But if her father found out that she had the artefact, the circumstances would indeed be life threatening. She could, of course, try and pretend that she was trying to fulfil her father's mission and give it to him willingly. Bad idea. They would surely see through that.

Claudia contemplated writing to Sirius. After all, she promised him that she would if something happened. But there was absolutely nothing he could have done. Well, nothing that would improve her situation. No. Her only hope was that Severus had decided to wait until tomorrow to give Marcus the news in person. Marcus would still be mad, but he would be alone, and she would have her friends around her.

Claudia got down to dinner. Everyone else was already there. A small package, wrapped in green paper, was lying on her plate.

"Something from your father and me. For making prefect." Cassandra said, smiling. Claudia forced herself to smile back. She was sure her father had nothing to do with it.

"Thank you." She said, as she untied the bow and unwrapped a jewellery box. It was a necklace. Even Claudia had to admit it was beautiful. She thanked her mother again, this time with some sincerity in her voice.

"Try it on." Cassandra said cheerfully. Claudia froze. She was wearing the artefact hidden under her shirt. She could hardly try on the necklace now.

"I'm not..." She said, panicking. "I'm not wearing the right clothes. I will change after dinner and try it then." She finally managed to say. Cassandra looked disappointed but gestured towards Sky to start serving dinner. Claudia took a deep breath. This was going to be hard.

The family were in the middle of the main course when a loud bang echoed through the house. Someone was at the front door.

That was it. Severus was here.

Claudia really wished she wrote to Sirius now. At least he would know who to blame if she did not return to school tomorrow.

Sky hurried out of the room and returned few minutes later.

"There is a gentleman, wishing to speak to Master." She looked towards Marcus. "And the young Master too." She added. This was bad.

Frederick looked uncertain. It was nearly eight o'clock and late visitors were unusual in the Avery house.

"Who is it?" He asked impatiently. Sky did not say anything but took two tentative steps towards her Master and whispered something in his ear. Claudia could not hear what she said, but her father went pale. He stood up, his hands shaking.

"Come Marcus, let's not keep him waiting." He said. He sounded nothing like Claudia's father. He sounded terrified. Claudia could feel her chest tighten. She was pretty sure that it was not Severus, waiting in the sitting room. It was much, much worse.

"Should I bring over some drinks?" Asked Cassandra, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.

"No. Get Claudia to bed and make sure we are not interrupted." Frederick said quietly. Claudia looked at Marcus. He was looking at her with suspicion. That was not unusual. But today, he could have had a very good reason. It was still more than just possible that Severus had told him already. She had no doubt that if Marcus knew, he would not cover for her. Especially not in front of You-Know-Who. And she was sure it was You-Know-Who, who was waiting in their sitting room. There was no one else in the whole world her father would have been this scared off. He had a whole year to get that artefact for You-Know-Who and he failed. It was time to face the music.

Claudia went to her room as instructed, but she did not go to bed. She kneeled in front of her door and stared through the keyhole, just about being able to see the hallway.

She heard muffled voices coming from the sitting room but could not for the life of her make out what they were saying. They did not sound happy though. At one point, she could swear she heard a violent scream.

After ten minutes or so, the door flew open and a tall figure appeared in the hallway. It was You-Know-Who. She had seen his picture in the Daily Prophet once.

"Do not make me come here again." He hissed in the direction of the sitting room. "I do not like being disappointed." He added, turned on his heel and disappeared out of the house.

Claudia slid onto the floor. At least they did not know. She would have been dead if they did. The adrenaline had left her body. All she had left was fear.

She was shaking and could not move a muscle. She wanted to cry, but her eyes were dry.

Sure, it was fun, running around the castle with Sirius, trailing Marcus and solving riddles. She had never felt prouder than when they found the artefact. But she was being naïve. This was not some game and she was in real danger. Alice was right all along. She was way in over her head here.

Claudia did not dare move away from the door or close her eyes. She spent the whole night sitting on the floor, clutching the artefact in one hand and her wand in the other.

She pretended to pack all morning to avoid the rest of her family. She got down just as the car had pulled up in front of the house. Her father and Marcus were already there. Neither of them looked like they had slept either. Claudia got into the car with them. She had never been this uncomfortable before.

Few minutes later, Cassandra emerged from the house, handkerchief in hand. She was already on the verge of tears about her 'babies' going back to school again. Claudia experienced a new emotion in that moment. For the first time in her life, she was pleased to see her mother.

Half an hour later, she finally leaned into the brick wall between platforms nine and ten at King's Cross Station. She was safe.


	13. Chapter 13 (A Shoulder to Cry On)

**A Shoulder to Cry On**

_Trigger warning: brief description of violence between siblings._

The trunks were loaded onto the train and it was finally time to set off. Claudia said the briefest of good-byes to her parents and disappeared into the prefects' carriage. She could not wait for the train to start moving.

It was the prefects' job to patrol the train and the Head Boy and the Head Girl were going to assign them shifts. Claudia did not know who else made prefect. She was relieved to see that it was Emmanuel, rather than Severus, who was the other Slytherin in the carriage. They had not been that close since he failed to get on the Quidditch team last year, but she still considered him her friend. More importantly, she could not face a whole journey to Hogwarts with Severus. Not after what happened in Diagon Alley.

As expected, Lucy did make prefect for Ravenclaw and Sirius' friend Remus Lupin was one of the Gryffindor prefects. The other Gryffindor prefect was a red-headed girl that Claudia did not know too well. Same went for the other Ravenclaw and both of the Hufflepuffs.

Claudia's shift was not until later, so she made her way to the compartment where Alice was sitting. She desperately wanted to tell her that she saw You-Know-Who and maybe even about the artefact. She was tired of hiding things from her best friend. And after last night, she knew that Alice was right. She deserved to know.

Unfortunately, Alice was surrounded by her friends and Claudia could not tell her anything. Claudia listened to the chatter about summer holiday for a while and then leaned toward Alice.

"Can we talk?" She whispered. They got up and made their way into the aisle, looking for an empty compartment or perhaps a quiet corner at the end of the carriage. They did not get far before they bumped into the red-headed Gryffindor prefect.

"I've been looking for you everywhere. You're supposed to be patrolling with me. Not chatting to your friends… I'm Lily, by the way." She said, frowning. Claudia was pretty sure that was not the case.

"I'm not on for another four hours." She said. Lily shook her head.

"Let's go and find the Head Boy." Said Lily and started to march away. Claudia did not move. She was not going to let this self-righteous busybody boss her around.

"I'm not on for another four hours. I'm sure of it." She said sharply. Lily wanted to argue but luckily the Head Boy had appeared.

"Good. You're both here. We need some extra help down at the front of the train. The young ones are out of control. Some of them got their hands on butterbeer. Too much sugar." He said quickly and disappeared.

Lily took few steps to follow him and then stopped.

"You aren't going to argue now, are you?" She asked Claudia with a frown. Claudia could feel her temper rising. Alice chuckled behind her.

"Just go. You don't want to get the badge taken away from you on the first day." She whispered. Claudia scoffed. She did not. But she hated taking orders, especially when she knew she was in the right.

She spent the rest of the journey policing the train. Her mood was so bad that she might have gone bit overboard with the punishments she handed out. Never had so many detentions been given on the journey to Hogwarts.

"People are already saying you will be the meanest prefect this year!" Joked Emmanuel as they disembarked from the train. Claudia laughed. She liked the idea of that. And it made her forget about You-Know-Who for a while.

Claudia barely paid any attention to what her fellow Slytherins were talking about at dinner. She kept glancing at Severus, who was looking at her suspiciously. If he had not told Marcus already, it was only a matter of time.

At the Gryffindor table, both Alice and Sirius looked busy. If only this was a normal dinner, she could have sat with Alice and told her everything. But with the formal feast on, she was stuck at the Slytherin table without a chance to speak to either of them tonight. After dinner, she had to escort the first years to the common room and then show the girls to their dormitories. But maybe, if she hurried, she might just have enough time to write to Sirius and hope he sees her message. Maybe they could meet on the fourth floor later.

She rushed the first years to bed and then run back to the common room to pick up her bag. But before she could get there, she found herself face-to-face with Marcus. Severus was standing behind him.

Before she could do anything, Marcus grabbed the wrist of her wand hand and yanked her towards him.

"What are you up to?" He hissed in her face. He was angry, but she could see a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Claudia replied, with all the defiance she could muster. He raised his other hand and grabbed her by the base of her throat. He pushed her against the wall.

"Whatever it is, stop. You have no idea what you are dealing with." He hissed through gritted teeth. Claudia could not respond, as Marcus grip on her throat was tightening. The chain on which the artefact was hanging was digging deeper and deeper into her skin. All she managed was a smirk. She must not give anything away.

Marcus did not wait for a response. He threw her on the floor, turned on his heel and walked off.

Claudia got up as fast as she could and run back to her dormitory. She was very shaken and her throat was hurting. She knew her brother was a thug, but never experienced actual physical violence from him. That was the purview of Claudia's mother…

She noticed almost immediately that something was not quite right. Her trunk was open, her books rearranged, and her bed turned out. Nothing was missing, but it was clear to Claudia that someone had been through her stuff. What was not clear was who. Marcus could not get into the girl dormitories. He must have got one of his admirers to do it.

Claudia was very relieved to find that her notebook from Sirius was intact. She really needed to talk to him. Alice would freak out. She took out a quill, dipped it in ink and froze.

She had no idea what to write. The reality of what happened to her over the last two days was just too horrible to put into words.

"Are you awake?" That was all she could bring herself to write.

She was very tired, after all she did not sleep last night either. But could not sleep, she was scared again. Her wand drawn, she kept staring at the notebook but never got a response. Sirius was either fast asleep or busy. She had no idea when she managed to fall asleep. Or if she slept at all.

After breakfast, she spotted Sirius waiting outside of the Great Hall. He grinned when he saw Claudia's badge.

"Do I need to watch out?" He asked.

"We both do." Claudia replied glumly. She must have still looked pretty shaken because Sirius' expression had changed almost instantly.

"Are you ok?" He whispered. Claudia shook her head. There was no point pretending otherwise. She looked around and nodded towards the small room next to the Great Hall, which was only ever used to prepare first years ahead of the sorting ceremony. They slipped inside.

"Marcus knows that I know. About the artefact." Claudia said hastily, as Sirius shut the door behind them.

"How?" Sirius asked. He looked alarmed.

"I was looking at a book about dangerous artefacts in Flourish and Blotts. Severus saw me." Claudia replied.

"Are you sure that he made the connection?" Sirius asked, looking somewhat relieved. Claudia smirked. She was bit annoyed that he seemed to think she was overreacting.

"Pretty sure… Marcus threatened me last night." She replied sarcastically.

"He did what?" Barked Sirius, reaching for the door handle. He was past alarmed now. He looked like he was going to find Marcus and punch him in a face. Claudia grabbed his arm.

"Don't do that." She hissed. Sirius did not like that one bit.

"Where is the artefact now?" He asked sharply.

Claudia touched a small bulge under her shirt, where she was still carrying it on a chain. Sirius' eyes opened widely.

"You wear it? What if it's dangerous?" He said, getting even angrier. Claudia did not know what he was expecting. She shrugged.

"Well, I can hardly leave it in the Slytherin dormitories, can I? Marcus had someone search my things last night. Who knows what's next." She said, defiantly.

"Give it to me. I'll hide it in the Gryffindor Tower. It will be safe there." Sirius said and outstretched his arm. There was none of the usual flippant tone in his voice. He meant it and Claudia was slowly losing any strength she had left to argue with him.

Claudia undid couple of buttons on her shirt, took off the chain and lowered the artefact into Sirius's palm.

Sirius had clearly noticed the emerging bruise on her neck. He lifted his hand and used his fingers to move her shirt collar out of the way. Claudia winced, as the bruise was getting quite tender.

"I'll kill him." Sirius muttered and reached for the door handle again.

"Please, Sirius." Claudia whispered and tears started to roll down her face. She rarely cried in front of people. It made her feel stupid. But she could not keep it in any longer. "I'm sorry…" She mumbled and dropped to the floor.

Sirius looked at her and then at the door. He hesitated for a couple of seconds and then sat down next to her.

"He can't get away with this. Now is not the time to pretend you don't need anyone's help." He whispered. He was still mad. But there was also kindness in his voice that Claudia rarely heard before.

"That's not it. He cannot know that you're helping me. This is dangerous." She said between sobs.

"It's just your moronic brother. We have nothing to be afraid of." Sirius smirked.

Claudia looked down at her feet and shook her head, trying to find the right words. She did not want him to fly off the handle again.

"I saw You-Know-Who. He was in our house." She whispered, trying to dry her eyes. It was pointless. She could not stop crying.

"What do you mean he was in your house? When?" Sirius asked, his voice rising again.

"He came to talk to my father… He was mad… Wants the artefact... Desperately." Claudia could not even speak in complete sentences anymore. The tears were making it impossible.

Sirius shuffled and tentatively put his arm around Claudia.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He whispered. Claudia shrugged.

"There was no time." She said and lowered her head on Sirius' shoulder.

"We'll find a way to destroy it. I promise you." Sirius whispered back and held her tighter.

They sat in silence for a bit. Claudia's tears have finally dried. She looked at her watch.

"We need to get to Potions." She muttered. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You aren't going to class. Go to bed. I'll tell Slughorn that you aren't well." He said, quite sternly.

"It's not like I can sleep. Not until I figure out who it was that searched my things." Claudia replied, with a sigh.

"Put protective enchantments on the curtains." Said Sirius like it was something he was used to doing daily. He frowned. "And write to me if something does not feel right. I'm begging you." Sirius added, as gave Claudia a brief squeeze and helped her get up.

They walked out into the Entrance Hall and made their way down the stairs into the dungeons. They saw Marcus walking in their direction.

Claudia grabbed Sirius' arm and pulled him around a corner.

"Promise me." She whispered, urgently. Sirius did not have to ask what she was talking about.

"Fine." He said through gritted teeth. She could see the hatred in his face. They waited for a minute for Marcus to pass. Claudia was not totally convinced that Sirius was not going to set off after Marcus the moment she left him. For some reason, that made her feel better.

"I'm coming to Potions." She said, as they began heading towards the classroom again.

"You don't trust me, do you?" Sirius quipped.

"Not one bit." Claudia chuckled. She was happy he was looking out for her.

It took Claudia all her strength not to fall asleep in her classes that day. It was not how she imagined the start of her OWLs year to go. She went to bed straight after dinner. She shut the curtains and cast the protective enchantments. Finally, she would be able to get some sleep. She closed her eyes…

She was lying in Hampstead Heath. It was a beautiful summer day. Suddenly, she could feel someone's breath on her cheek. She turned around and saw Sirius. He was lying in the grass next to her. He lifted his hand and placed it on the back of Claudia's neck. He played with her hair. Claudia closed her eyes and kissed him.

She felt so happy, so safe, like she was falling backwards into thousands of pillows. It was a weird feeling. She opened her eyes. Sirius was gone and she was indeed falling.

She was falling from a great height, her broomstick in hand. It felt like it will never stop. She gasped and woke up.

Everything felt sticky. She reached for a glass of water at her bedside table and drained it, before falling back into her pillow. She was about to drop off again when she remembered the dream.

Her mind started to wonder what it would be like to hold Sirius' hand. To kiss him. To bury her face in his chest, while he held her tight. Claudia drifted back to sleep. She was on Hampstead Heath once more…

When she opened her eyes again, it was the morning. She remembered the dream again.

"Oh no. No. No. No. No. No." She muttered to herself. It was just a dream. Their friendship was too precious to her and she knew full well what happened to all of Sirius' 'relationships'. Even if he liked her, which he did not, he would get bored within a week and that would be that. She must not fall in love with him.

Claudia caught up with Alice after lunch, they were sitting in the courtyard. She was vaguely aware that her best friend was talking but did not have it in her to pay attention. She could not stop thinking about her dream.

"What's up with you? You have that look again." Asked Alice when she noticed that Claudia's mind was elsewhere.

"What look?" Claudia said, defensively.

"The 'Anthony-look'." Replied Alice.

"I had a weird dream about someone. And now I can't get him out of my head." Claudia said with a sigh. Alice's eyes twinkled.

"Who is it?" She asked, full of excitement. Claudia could not quite bring herself to say. By a stroke of luck, Sirius and his friend were just walking through the gate to the courtyard. They were huddled around a piece of paper and looked like they were arguing.

Claudia tilted her head towards them. The excitement had drained from Alice's face.

"Please tell me you mean Lupin." She said, with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Claudia shook her head.

"Potter?" Asked Alice. Claudia shook her head again.

"Pettigrew?" Alice asked, hopefully. Claudia scoffed. The disappointment in Alice's face had been replaced by loathing.

"I thought you were better than that." Alice said, before adding. "I mean, he is good looking. But you barely know him." She laughed and continued. "Trust me. If you knew him, you'd feel differently."

Claudia sighed. "Please don't me mad…" She said, but Alice interrupted her.

"Why would I be mad. You're fifteen, he's got that bad boy aura, things happen…" She chuckled. Claudia shook her head.

"Please don't be mad about what I'm going to say next…." Claudia managed to finish the sentence. She continued. "You know how I promised I wasn't going to look into whatever my brother was up to?" Alice frowned. She knew what was coming.

"Well, I have been looking into it. And Sirius's been helping me. We've been friends for months." Claudia finished, looking at her shoes.

Alice did not say anything. Claudia told her about the artefact, about how they have found it and about You-Know-Who. She even told her about yesterday's freak-out. It felt good to get everything off her chest. But Alice was fuming.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?! I'm supposed to be your friend!" She whispered, angrily.

"Because I thought you'd be mad. That you'd think it was a bad idea." Replied Claudia. Her eyes were filling up with tears again.

Alice scoffed. "I can't do this anymore." She said, stood up, and walked off. Claudia was left alone in the courtyard. The sandwich she was eating was suddenly tasting like sawdust. She was miserable.

Claudia hoped that Alice could not stay angry at her for long. She needed her best friend. She was so relieved when Alice sat down next to her at dinner.

"Claudia, I'm not your parents. I'm your best friend. You can tell me things even if you think I'll get mad." She said. She was not angry anymore. But there was quite a lot of pity in her voice.

"I'm sorry. I don't deserve you..." Said Claudia, somewhat relieved.

"I'm happy to write to dad..." Alice suggested. But Claudia shook her head.

"My father is too high up in the Ministry for that. I just need to find a way to get rid of it." Claudia muttered in response. Alice thought about something for a while.

"Do you want my help?" She asked. Claudia smiled. It meant a lot that Alice had offered. But she did not want to get her into trouble.

"Just watch out for Marcus… For now." She said. Alice narrowed her eyes.

"I still don't get it though. How can you know what Black is like and still like him?" She asked.

Claudia closed her eyes. She had not really thought about it before.

"He's smart, funny, _very_ resourceful… And can be surprisingly kind." She whispered. Alice looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"Are we talking about the same Sirius Black?!" She asked, bemused. This made Claudia chuckle.

"And yes. He is also unbelievably annoying and an insufferable show-off... Better?" Claudia replied. She could feel that she was blushing. Alice studied Claudia's face for a long time.

"You really do like him, don't you?" She said, finally.

"I'm not sure I want to." Claudia whispered.


	14. Chapter 14 (Fire and Ice)

**Fire and Ice**

Marcus had clearly decided that Claudia did not know anything and did his best to pretend she did not exist. Claudia saw him and Severus sneaking up to the Astronomy Tower like nothing had happened. She thought that he was probably too arrogant to admit that his little sister could beat him to the artefact. He must have thought that the book was just a coincidence.

And while Claudia caught Sirius glaring at Marcus furiously across the Great Hall, he seemed to have been keeping his promise of not punching Marcus' face out. For that, Claudia was grateful. She could finally start her fifth year like she planned, by focusing on her OWLs. Well, for the most part anyway. Sirius was still confusing her.

Most of the professors had already given them a lecture on how important it was to study properly this year. Now, it was Professor Sprout's turn.

"I know some of you think that Herbology is just pointless digging through dirt." She began. Claudia could swear Sprout was looking at her. She found herbology to be excruciatingly boring and did not spend a lot of time studying for it. And Sprout knew it. The Professor continued.

"But the Herbology OWL is very important. If you want to be an auror or work at St Mungo's, you will need a Herbology NEWT. And for that, I need an O or EE in your OWLs." Sprout adeed. Oh crap. Claudia thought to herself. She did not know that. It would have been awesome to be an auror, to catch dark wizard for a living. But O or EE in Herbology? That was unlikely. It did not seem fair at all. Why would an auror need to know about plants?

"Miss Avery. A word, please." Said Sprout at the end of the lesson. Claudia swallowed. Her first thought was that Sprout somehow found out about the stolen fluxweed. In reality, it was even worse.

"I would hate to fail you this year. But your last exam was not good. Not at all." Sprout said. Claudia could feel her blood rising to her cheeks.

"I know. It's just that…" She began to say but Sprout interrupted her.

"No excuses, please. We both know you can do it, if only you were to try little harder." Sprout was not wrong.

"I'll get onto it." Claudia replied through gritted teeth. There was no point prolonging this conversation. It was unlikely that she would be able to convince Sprout to change the Ministry's admission criteria. She will just need to suck it up and start finding these stupid plants interesting.

Claudia went straight to the library to work on her herbology essay. Despite her best efforts, she could not focus on it for more than thirty minutes. It was truly mind-numbing. Her mind started to wonder again.

She lifted her head from the textbook and spotted Sirius, who was sitting with his friends. He was not studying though. Instead, he was doodling something on a piece of parchment. Claudia wanted desperately to talk to him again and wrecked her brain about a possible excuse. She was having hard time coming to terms with her feeling for him and definitely did not want him to know about them. He would probably mock her mercilessly. Then it struck her, there was always the artefact. She was meaning to look for that book she saw in Flourish and Blotts! That was a plausible excuse.

It did not take Claudia long to find the book in the Defence against Dangerous Artefacts. As she was walking back to her desk, she saw Sirius looking at her. She waved the book discreetly at him and gestured towards the door of the library.

"Want to try some of the spells from here?" She whispered as they met by the door. Sirius grinned.

"Always. I'll go get it and see you on the fourth floor." He whispered. Claudia opened the door of the library, Sirius grabbed it high over her head and held it open. He did that all the time, often complaining that she would not let him open the door for her. Claudia never noticed how close they were when he did. She certainly noticed now. So painfully close.

They met again in the alcove on the fourth floor. They were sat next to each other, reading from the book. Claudia could practically feel Sirius' breath on her cheek. It was exactly like the dream. She could not pay any attention to what was in the book or to what Sirius was saying. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers in front of her eyes.

"Wake up." He laughed.

"Hmmm?" Asked Claudia, her train of thoughts interrupted.

"Are you alright?" Asked Sirius.

"Yeah, just a lot on. Herbology. Sprout said I might fail." Claudia said, with a slight nod.

"How can you be failing anything? You're the nerdiest person I know." Sirius said, looking rather baffled.

Claudia chucked. "Because it's boring… Anyway, what were you saying?" She asked.

"Should we try this one?" Sirius asked, pointing at a spell. "Should be a quiet one." He added. Claudia did not even know what he was pointing at. The only thing she could focus on was just how close his hand was to hers.

"Sure. Go ahead." Whispered Claudia. Sirius raised his wand and cast a protective charm.

"Just in case they are not that silent." He smirked. He tried the spell and then another.

After few minutes, Claudia had finally recovered enough composure to join him. They tried every spell in that book, but it led to nothing.

"The book's useless." Claudia sighed. She really hoped that something would work. After all, the book was the reason that Marcus was after her. Sirius squeezed her shoulder.

"We'll find something, I promise. Let's get down to dinner. I'm starving and you look like you haven't eaten in days." He said, got up and pulled Claudia up to standing.

Every time Sirius touched her, she felt as if a powerful spell had hit her right in the chest. It was overpowering. It never used to bother her. When they were under the cloak together, when he pretended to kiss her in the library so that Pince would leave them alone, when he hugged her to smell her dungbomb-ridden hair. She barely even noticed. She did the exact same thing to his shoulder in the summer. And felt nothing.

But since the dream, every single touch, or even an anticipation of it, gave her a powerful jolt. It was torture. Her crush on Anthony just seemed so pathetic in comparison.

Sirius got intercepted by James on the way to the Great Hall and Claudia continued by herself. She did not mind. She was so confused about him and needed to think.

On one hand, she remembered all the things Sirius told her before. That he would trust her around love potion ingredients. That she was not like other girls. That he could have a conversation with her. Claudia sighed. He just saw her as a friend. There was nothing more to it. And no wonder, she was not his type. All the girls he usually dated were different. Definitely much prettier. It was a miracle he noticed that she was a girl at all.

But then again... There were the things he did, helping her with the artefact. He must have gone to a lot of trouble to get those Felix ingredients and the notebooks. He came to see her this summer. Would he have done that if he did not enjoy her company? And he was furious when he found out what Marcus did to her. She did not expect him to get quite so protective of her. She could tell it was still bothering him. The easiest explanation for all of this was that he cared for her.

Claudia just had no idea what to do. She was eating dinner by herself and could not help but keep glancing in Sirius' direction. She still was not sure whether it was just a crush, or whether she liked him for real. And even if she was sure that she liked him, what were the chances that he liked her too? And would they really date? Claudia did not like attention and if there was one thing that would make her the centre of all school gossip, it was dating Sirius Black. They would really make the most unlikely couple. Claudia could not help but chuckle to herself.

They could not be more different. Claudia was a prefect. Sirius was the school's chief troublemaker.

She was nerdy. He was smart but could not care less about studying.

She was socially awkward and bad with people. He was, well, not that.

But they were also remarkable similar. They had similar upbringing and were both clearly equally scarred by it.

They were both witty and enjoyed a good argument.

But above all, they were both extremely stubborn and forever convinced they were in the right.

Claudia chuckled again. What a recipe for disaster that was. Although the idea of dating Sirius was a ridiculous, it still made her feel warm on the inside.

She glanced at Sirius again and noticed the girl from the train also arriving to dinner. She sat down next to Sirius and they began chatting. Claudia surprised herself. She did not like it one bit. He said he hoped they broke up, but it certainly did not look like it. They were laughing. The girl then leaned close to Sirius and whispered something in his ear. Sirius turned towards her and they kissed.

It was as if someone kicked Claudia in the stomach. All the stuff he said in the summer was just bullshit. She should have known better. She felt so stupid for even contemplating her feelings for him.

Over the next few days, Claudia's resolve not to fall in love with Sirius has strengthened. She simply could not let that happen and, therefore, decided to dedicate all her attention to studying and finding a way of destroying the artefact. And if she could do the latter without Sirius, she would.

Even between her classes, she was reading her textbooks to make sure she did not have a spare moment to think about him. She was on her way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, her nose buried in a textbook, when she tripped over her foot and stumbled into a pillar. A couple of second years burst out laughing and made fun of her.

"Two points from each of you. Now, scram!" She yelled after them.

"You can't do that. They haven't done anything wrong." She heard a voice from behind her. It was that Lily girl again.

"I don't care. Give them the points back, if you must." Claudia barked backed at her and stormed off.

Claudia made it to the classroom sat down next to Eleanor.

"Why are you bleeding?" Eleanor asked, pointing at Claudia's head.

"Am I?" Claudia sighed and wiped her forehead clean with her sleeve. It was not too bad. In any case, she really could not care less at that point.

The new Dark Arts teacher began mumbling something about firestorms. Claudia was usually one of the few people who were paying attention, but even she could swear this teacher was getting worse and worse with every lesson he took. She was staring out of the window, still furious. She could not look either at Sirius or at Lily. Otherwise, she would explode.

"Of course, firestorms should not be confused with cursed fire. They are not anywhere as destructive…" Claudia half-heard the teacher say. Destructive? Claudia's hand was suddenly high up in the air.

"Could you tell us more about the cursed fire?" She asked. The professor looked around uncertainly.

"I really should not…" He said. But he was clearly enjoying that someone was paying attention in that class, so he went on. "It's called Fiendfyre. It produces enchanted flames, capable of destroying nearly anything in its path. It's dark very magic, of course." The teacher trailed off.

Claudia could not help but glance at Sirius now. He was looking at her from across the classroom, frowning. She shrugged at him and turn back to look out of the window. It was worth a trip to the library.

She was on her way there, when Sirius caught up with her and dragged her into an empty classroom.

"You can't be serious." He said the moment he shut the door behind them.

"I know it's dangerous. Must be really tricky to control." She replied, trying to sound casual. Controlling her temper was proving quite hard these days. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Tricky to control?! That's not the bloody point. It's dark magic. Really dark magic." He was also becoming quite agitated now.

"What choice do I have? I need to get rid of it." She replied, her voice rising.

"Not like this. You can't do this." Sirius barked back. Claudia did not like being told what to do. Especially not by him. And definitely not now.

"What do you think I should do?" She scoffed and folded her arms.

"I don't know. Whatever. Chuck it in the Black Lake. Just not this." Sirius said, with a laugh. It was the laugh that made Claudia lose her temper completely.

"I knew you were never serious about this... It is all just a big joke to you... Just go and play a stupid prank on someone... It's all you care about." She yelled. She knew that was not entirely fair but did not care. She just wanted to yell at him.

"I'm not serious?" Sirius' voice was now raised too. "What more do you want from me? I've done everything for you. I've been lying to my friends for you! Hiding things from them." He growled.

"Like that's hard…" Claudia muttered and reached for the door to open it.

"It's hard for me. I'm not a psychopath." Sirius barked. She was really mad at him now. For calling her a psychopath. For not taking her seriously. For still dating that girl from the train. For ever coming into her life. Claudia opened the door. But Sirius was not done.

"Should have expected this from a daughter of a Dea…" He hissed.

Claudia stopped in her tracks and turned back slowly.

"Say it!" She said, in a menacing voice.

Sirius shook his head. He crossed a line and he knew it. It was written all over his face.

"Daughter of a Death Eater…." Claudia finished the sentence for him.

"I didn't mean… But this is how is starts. You don't know what using dark magic will do to you." Sirius said.

"Trust me. If something is going to rip my soul in pieces, it will not be this!" Claudia snapped and began walking away.

"You're being an idiot!" She heard him shout after her. But she did not stop. She was more determined than ever to find a way to create that cursed fire. Anything to prove him wrong. And she really did not care if she took half the school with her.

Claudia was still seething when she got to dinner.

"What happened to you?" Asked Alice, when she saw Claudia's face. Claudia threw her jumper on the table, buried her face in it and screamed.

"Better? Said Alice when Claudia resurfaced. She was biting her lip, trying not to laugh.

"He's so infuriating. Why does he have to argue with me all the time?" Claudia sighed.

"Pot, Kettle, Black." Alice said. She could not help but laugh openly now. Claudia shot her an annoyed look. "You aren't even dating and already you are like an old married couple." Alice added. Claudia was not amused. She turned to her dinner, sulking.

"What did you argue about?" Alice asked. Claudia shook her head.

"Doesn't even matter." She whispered. If Sirius thought she was being reckless, she did not dare think what Alice would say. "And have you seen him with that girl? He said they broke up!" Added Claudia. Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Ah." She said, significantly. Claudia buried her face in the jumper again and screamed some more.

Claudia spent the next couple of weeks avoiding Sirius at all cost and keeping busy with herbology. Even though trying to catch-up on four years of the most boring subject of all times was not her idea of fun, it was much preferable to trying to understand her feelings towards the most annoying person on the planet. But at least she finally had a plan for making progress on the artefact. She could not get to the restricted section to research the cursed fire without Sirius and the cloak, so she decided to try her luck in the Tomes and Scrolls bookshop in Hogsmeade. It was a longshot, but she had nothing better.

Claudia shook off her friends in front of Honeyduke's and sneaked into the bookshop. She managed to find some old advanced textbook for Defence against Dark Arts, which had a very brief description of the cursed fire.

She found a quiet corner of the shop. Her eyes flicked across the page. "_The fire possessed a sentience of its own and a continuous desire to pursue nearby lifeforms."_ Claudia scratched her head. It did not sound fun. She continued. "_Capable of incinerating anything though mere contact… Takes for of gigantic fiery beasts… Most casters would have major difficulty controlling the fire…"_ Claudia shut the book and grimaced. Sirius was right. It would have been idiotic to try to create it. But she could never admit it, not to him anyway.

She was at her wits' end and on a verge of tears. Felix Felicis was not going to be ready for few more weeks and she needed to keep going. Who knew when Marcus was going to get bored of the Astronomy Tower and go after her again? The artefact must be gone by then.

She threw the book into a corner in anger but regretted it instantly. The book did not deserve that. She bent down to pick it up and spotted a small, dusty volume in the gap between the wall and the bookshelf. It looked like it was lost there for years. She used her wand to pry it out, brushed off the spider webs, and opened it carefully.

The pages looked like they might crumble at a mere touch. The book was full of old spells, some of which looked like they were definitely in the grey area between charms and curses.

Claudia looked around to make sure no one was watching and slipped the book into her bag. She was not going to be seen buying this. They would probably arrest her. It was not really stealing. She would return it the next time she was in Hogsmeade.

She went straight back to the castle, looking through the book for any destructive spells as she walked. And then she found a spell that could work - _Protero Cumulates_.

The wand movement looked exceedingly complicated. But it was worth a try.

The book said that the caster needed to have the deepest desire, bordering on rage, for destruction in order for the spell to work. Claudia smirked. That was not going to be a problem.

Now she just needs the artefact. Claudia sighed. She did not have the artefact. Sirius did. She could avoid him no longer.


	15. Chapter 15 (Slughorn Strikes Again)

**Slughorn Strikes Again**

Claudia just sat through what felt like the longest muggle studies class ever. When the classroom was nearly empty, she turned to Sirius.

"I need the artefact." She whispered.

"No way." Sirius scoffed.

"It's mine!" Claudia protested.

"No. It's Slytherin's… And I'm not giving it to you to do something that stupid." Sirius shook his head. He really could be insufferable.

"I want to try something else." Claudia replied.

"I don't believe you." Sirius shrugged.

"Just give me the bloody artefact." She was beginning to sound quite desperate. Sirius shook his head again.

"I'm coming with you." He muttered. Claudia got up.

"Fine. If you must. Meet me by the forest in thirty minutes. Same place as last time." She said and began to walk off.

"Please?" Quipped Sirius.

"Oh, shut up." Claudia barked back at him. She really did not have time for his nonsense today.

"So, what's this thing you want to try?" Asked Sirius when they finally got to the forest clearing. He was not giving her the artefact without a fight. Claudia opened the book and shoved it into his hand. He looked at the page for some time.

"It's slightly better than your last idea… But it's still a curse." He said. He looked like he was thinking about whether to give it to her or not. Finally, he took the artefact out of his pocket and dangled it in front of Claudia's face.

"You don't have to do it." She said and snatched it from him. She tossed the artefact on the ground and drew her wand.

_"Protero Cumulates!"_ She said, resolutely.

A jet of light shot out of Claudia's wand and hit the artefact, which shook a bit but looked intact.

"Are you sure you're angry enough?" Asked Sirius, mockingly. After all, anger was an integral part of making that spell work. Claudia found his mocking so unbelievably irritating. She was definitely angry enough now. Almost enough to find out what that curse would do to a human being.

But she kept going. After the third try, Claudia looked over her shoulder. Sirius stepped up next to her. He was holding the book in hand, studying the hand movement.

"Ready?" He asked grumpily.

They cast the spell together, hitting the artefact at exactly the same time. There was a loud pop.

Claudia run towards the artefact, dropped to her knees, and tried to pick it up. It had shattered into four pieces.

She turned back towards Sirius, who looked solemn. She knew it was lot for him to cast the curse. She briefly smiled at him.

"Do you think it could be repaired?" He asked. He was being very matter of fact. He was clearly not happy about what he just did. Claudia shrugged.

"Not sure we should risk it." She weighted one piece in her hand and threw it deep into the bushes. She then put the remaining pieces in her pocket. "We should get back to the castle." She added. It was getting dark. Claudia was keen to get out of there as quickly as possible. She did not particularly like darkness. Or magical creatures, which the Forbidden Forest was full of. And the awkwardness with Sirius was becoming unbearable.

They were just making their way over the bridge when Claudia suddenly stopped in her tracks. She took a second piece of the artefact from her pocket and threw in down into the lake. After few second, she could hear a distant splash.

"The Black Lake is suddenly good enough for you?" Sirius smirked and asked mockingly. Claudia scowled at him. She really did not need reminding of their argument.

"We aren't going to get rid of the other two today…" She said, icily. "I'll take one. You keep the other." She added. It was a good idea. Marcus would have to search the Forbidden Forest, dive in the Black Lake and get past both of them, before he had all the pieces. And then, he would still need to find a way of repairing it. It was impossible.

"Fine." Said Sirius and outstretched his arm. Claudia reached into her pocket and dropped one of the fragments into his hand. Their fingers touched for a fraction of the second. Here was that jolt again. Claudia bit her lip and began walking to the castle again. She never felt this confused in her life. And she did not like it.

Claudia was lying in bed that night. Finally, the artefact was gone. Her father and Marcus could never get their hands on it. They could never deliver it to You-Know-Who. S

he remembered the thing she did to get there. Finding Slytherin's apartments, solving that riddle, finding the spell that finally destroyed it. She should have felt proud and happy. But she did not.

There was no way she would ever get there without Sirius' help.

He got them to the restricted section and opened that secret passage. And today, if it was not for him, she would still be standing in the Forbidden Forest trying to destroy the artefact.

Their argument was eating her from the inside. They should have both been feeling proud and celebrating. Instead, they were barely speaking and sulking in their dormitories. And all because of some stupid spell.

Claudia did not have the strength to be mad at him anymore. The longer she lay in bed, the more desperate she got to be on good terms with him again. Even if they were to be just friends… She could hide her feelings for him, she was good at that. If only there was something she could do, something to give him, that would show him how thankful she was for all his help. And then it struck her.

The Felix Felicis was almost ready. It was the perfect present. She could, of course, drink it herself and see what happened. But that felt almost as wrong as slipping him a love potion. And if he ever found out, he would never speak to her again. And rightly so.

Few days later, Claudia snuck into Slytherin's apartments to check on the potion. It looked exactly as it was supposed to. Hopefully, she was not about to poison him.

The content of the cauldron was just about enough for a tiny vial. Closed closed it, wrapped it carefully in a small box and scribbled a short note. _"Thank you for everything. Don't use it for anything too illegal..."_ She run to the Owlery. If she hurried, she might even make the morning post.

She was already feeling bit better when she entered the Great Hall. Sirius was sitting at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by his friends. They were singing Happy Birthday. What a coincidence. Then, she noticed that the girl from the train was sitting at the other end of the Gryffindor table, sulking. Claudia chuckled. Either the potion was more powerful than she realised, or these were some coincidences.

Claudia sat down and waited for the post to arrive. She watched, as Sirius unwrapped the present. James, who was sitting right next to him, grabbed the vial from him. He looked astonished. Sirius snatched it back from him and hid it in his robes.

He looked at Claudia across the Great Hall and smiled. It had been weeks since he did that. Ever since their argument began. She smiled back at him, then lowered her eyes. She must have been so red. Alice was watching her intently.

"You don't look like you want to murder him anymore. Quite the opposite." She said, chuckling. Claudia hoped she was not that obvious to everyone.

"I just want us to be friends again." Claudia whispered. Alice did not believe that for a second.

"Just friends? Really?" She asked, her eyebrows raised. Claudia sighed and leaned back against her chair.

"It's better than this." She replied. "By the way. It's gone. We managed it last night." Claudia remembered. She filled Alice in on all the detail. She was beginning to feel prouder about what she managed to achieve.

Claudia was never more relieved to get on the Quidditch pitch that she did later in November for the game against Gryffindor. The cold air on her face, the break-neck speed, the release of aggression every time she threw the quaffle. It was all providing much-needed respite. Her only regret was that she was not a beater. That would have been even better stress-relief.

There were only couple of changes to the team this year. The seeker Macmillan graduated and his place on the team had been taken by Regulus of all people. Atherol Rowle replaced Crabbe as the third chaser, alongside Claudia and Parkinson. Marcus did not even try out for the team. Probably could not deal with the humiliation again.

Sirius' best friend James had managed to get on the Gryffindor team. This was his first game. He was very keen to prove himself and Claudia thought he was flying like a complete lunatic. He almost took her out an hour into the game, conceding a penalty that Claudia messed up royally.

"Happens to the best of us. Now get back into formation." Barked Parkinson at her, when she was venting about her miss.

Not ten minutes later, James was getting too close again. Claudia wanted to kick him away but missed. Their brooms got entangled and they tumbled to the ground. Claudia landed hard and hurt her ankle. She touched it and winced it pain. It felt badly sprained, if not broken.

She looked over to James, wanting to yell at him. But he was already getting back on his broom when an angry Madame Hooch landed right next to him.

"You do this again, Potter, and I will suspend you! Indefinitely! You'll have the shortest Quidditch career in the history of Hogwarts!" She shouted at him before running towards Claudia.

She took one look at Claudia's leg, called Madame Pomfrey over and whistled for a time out. Claudia was sitting on the ground, getting her leg bandaged up. The Slytherin team was standing not too far away, in the middle of an argument.

Regulus was telling Anthony and the other beater off for not giving him enough protection and focusing too much on the chasers. Rowle, who was clearly trying to appear tough, was agreeing with him. Claudia had never seen Anthony angry before. He was clearly unhappy about being told what to do by Regulus. He turned towards Claudia.

"What about you, Avery? Do you think the chasers are getting too much protection?" He barked, sarcastically.

"I'm staying out of this." She said and rubbed her painful leg.

"And quite rightly so. I'm the bloody captain. I decide what we do here. We are keeping to the strategy. It's working." Parkinson said angrily. He had had enough. Regulus looked like he was about to protest, but Parkinson had cut him off. "Just shut it and get that snitch." He barked. He looked like he was regretting giving Regulus the position already.

"How long before she can be back on the broom?" Parkinson asked, turning to Madame Pomfrey.

"I should really take her to the hospital wing." Pomfrey replied snappily. She clearly did not appreciate being spoken to like this by a student.

"No chance. I need her." Replied Parkinson. Madame Pomfrey scowled and finished bandaging Claudia's ankle.

"I want to see you the moment this game is over." She hissed. Claudia's ankle was still tender, but good enough to fly. At least for a little bit. Mercifully, Regulus caught the snitch within fifteen minutes. Actually, the catch was amazing. Even Parkinson had to admit that. And Slytherin had a solid victory.

The Slytherin team was leaving the pitch, arms around each other. Claudia leaned towards Julius.

"Regulus is going to be insufferable now, isn't he?" She whispered. Julius laughed. Claudia continued. "What's happened to him anyway? He used to be this shy kid…"

"I think he's finally given up trying to be friends with his brother. And now he's planning to outdo him by becoming an even bigger idiot." Julius shrugged. Claudia could not help but laugh. Julius did not know how right he was. Sirius was an idiot. She was in love with him, but he was an idiot. She only managed few more steps, before her ankle gave in. She tumbled, but Julius managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"I better get to Madame Pomfrey." Claudia said through gritted teeth.

She hopped up to the castle, half-leaning on Julius, who insisted on going with her. The matron was not at all happy with Claudia and kept her in the hospital wing overnight. When Claudia woke up, she saw a box of chocolates on her bedside table. There was a short note.

_"Sorry about James. He's a moron when it comes to Quidditch. Hope it's not too painful."_

It was Sirius' handwriting. These better not be a joke product, she thought to herself as she took a bite. They were delicious and, as far as she could tell, did not cause her any immediate side effects. It was most unusual.

Time flew by and it was almost time to go back for Christmas. Claudia and Sirius continued to chat a little when they saw each other in class, but not much more than that. Her fear from last year was proven right – with the artefact gone, they did not really have much opportunity to catch-up.

Especially with all the studying for OWLs that Claudia was doing. And while Sirius did not seem to be doing much studying, him and his friends looked even more up to something than usual. Claudia just hoped that their latest scheming did not result in some unpleasant prank. She still wanted to vomit every time she thought of a dungbomb.

One evening, few days before the Christmas break, Claudia was heading back to the dungeons, when she heard a noise from around the corner. She was really tired and wanted desperately to go to bed. But she was a prefect now and Lily could be lurking anywhere, ready to jump at the next opportunity to tell her off. Claudia turned the corner and saw James. He was standing in the middle of the corridor, clearly keeping watch. He grinned at her.

"Evening, Avery… Still looking for the quaffle from that missed penalty? I think it went little further North." He quipped. Claudia rolled her eyes. He was not even sorry. He truly was a moron.

"What are you doing here? Where are the others?" She asked, sharply. But James only laughed.

"Are you going all prefect on me?" He asked. Claudia was too tired for this.

"You bet your ass I am." She said. She was convinced the others were there too. And she knew it was a blind corridor. They had nowhere to go. She folded her arms. "I can wait." She added, very loudly.

She heard chuckles from around the corner. Sirius emerged after a few seconds, followed by the other two.

"I think that will be one evening detention for all of you." Claudia said coolly. But James protested.

"I wasn't doing anything, just standing here… I don't even know who these people are." He said, gesturing towards his friends.

"Fine. The three of you then." Claudia said, but Remus pointed to his own badge and shrugged. She could not give detention to a fellow prefect.

Before she could say anything else, James continued. "And what proof do you have that these two were up to something?" Claudia looked at Pettigrew.

"Well, I can't prove that he's up to anything…" She said, before turning towards Sirius. "But _he_ is holding a lock pick set and his hands look like they are covered in oil." She added, barely able to contain her giggles. The tough prefect act was crumbling.

"Fine. You do whatever you want to him. I'm sure he won't mind anyway..." James smirked. "Might even enjoy it." He added. Sirius did not think it was funny. He gave James a little slap on the back of his head.

"Git. I'm never telling you anything again." He whispered. Claudia chuckled. He could not mean... Or could he?

"Four evenings detention for you then." She said to Sirius.

"Four?! You said one before!" Sirius gasped. He was grinning at her too now.

"Don't blame that one on me. Blame these so-called friends of yours." Replied Claudia but could not resist smiling back at him. "Now, get out of here before I double it." She added.

They all begin to hesitantly walk out of the corridor. Sirius walked right up to her, squeezed her shoulder.

"The power is getting to your head, my friend." He whispered in her ear. His hand lingered on her shoulder. He grinned at her again and disappeared after his friends. He had clearly forgiven her.

Claudia was so very relieved that they were back to normal. Well, the new normal, anyway. She could still feel Sirius' touch on her shoulder. She placed her own hand there and closed her eyes. How will she ever be ok with them being just friends?

The next day, Claudia was walking past the potions storeroom when she saw Sirius through the gap in the door. He was sitting in front of an open cabinet, with a balance and a lot of parchment. He must have been told to do the inventory. She reached for the door handle. Sirius turned when he heard the door creak.

"Came to mock me?" He asked, the twinkle in his eye was back. Claudia grinned.

"Do you want some help?" She asked.

"Please. Otherwise, I'll be here forever… I'll do the weighing. Can you do the writing?" Sirius replied, hopefully. Claudia sat down next to him and picked up a quill.

"Dried Baneberry – nine and a half ounces… Are you going to ask me what we were doing in that corridor?" Sirius asked her.

"Do I want to know?" Claudia replied, her eyebrows raised.

"No, actually. You don't… " He paused, before continuing. "I never got the chance to properly thank you for the birthday present. Best thing I ever got. I promise I'll use it wisely…" He said, before adding. "Dittany – eleven point two ounces."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Claudia smirked. Sirius laughed. It felt good seeing him happy again.

"Still nothing from Marcus?" Asked Sirius. Claudia shook her head.

"Still searching the Astronomy Tower. And leaving me alone… I think he is worried if he were to put pressure on me, he would reveal just how much he cares about this. And he doesn't want to that. Especially not to me." She replied quietly. She tried to sound confident, but really, she was not looking forward to spending Christmas under the same roof as her brother and father.

"Knotgrass – ten ounces exactly." Said Sirius. He stopped weighing the ingredients and turned towards Claudia.

"Promise me that you'll be careful over Christmas?" Sirius asked, as if he was reading her mind. Claudia chuckled.

"Careful? Really? One set of rules for me, and another for you." She said.

"Nice try. But I can tell you're worried." Sirius replied. Claudia took a deep breath. He was not wrong.

"If something was to happen to me, I am counting on you to tell the right people." She whispered. Sirius reached over and squeezed her hand in his.

"It won't come to that. It's gone and they have no proof you know anything." Sirius said and looked away. There was a long pause. He was still holding her hand.

"I'm sorry about the Death Eater's daughter thing... And the psychopath thing… I didn't mean it. I just didn't want you to get hurt. That's all…" He added quietly.

"We both said things we didn't mean." Claudia whispered. "I couldn't have found and destroyed it without you." She added and winced. The next bit was not easy. "I was wrong… And you were right. About the cursed fire." She finished, fully expecting Sirius to mock her.

But he did not. He slowly turned his head to look at her and smiled.

All Claudia could think about was how beautiful his eyes were and how she never noticed it before.

Then her eyes travelled to his lips. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him right there.

They were so close.

All of a sudden, the door to the dungeon flew open. It was Slughorn.

"Miss Avery, what are you doing here? Weren't you the one who gave him this detention?" He squealed.

"Just checking that he's doing it properly, Sir." Said Claudia and jumped up from the floor. Sirius let go of her hand.

She could strangle Slughorn right now. Why does he keep doing this to her? First, Anthony. And now this? Even she was not stupid enough to miss that this was the moment! And neither was Slughorn.

He knew that he interrupted something. He marched them both out of the dungeon and did not even give them a chance to say a proper goodbye.

"Are we good?" Was all that Claudia managed to mutter. Sirius nodded and smiled.

"We're good." He whispered.

Claudia could not wipe the smile of her face for the rest of the evening. This 'being friends' thing is never going to work for her. But on today's evidence, it might not work for Sirius either.


	16. Chapter 16 (Parliament Hill)

**Parliament Hill**

Claudia barely got a chance to speak to Sirius for the rest of the term. He spent the remaining evenings at school in detention with Slughorn, who was watching him closely to make sure he did not get any more 'help'.

There were few smiles and winks between them when they saw each other in class or in the Great Hall. Claudia got a million butterflies in her stomach every time she saw him. She wanted nothing more than just walk up to him a kiss him, but she was too much of a coward to ever do that.

She spent days trying to summon enough courage to even just go and talk to him. But before she managed that, it was time to get on the Hogwarts Express and go back to London.

Claudia was getting some chocolate off the trolley on the train. She was just turning around, putting her money back into her purse when she collided with Sirius, who was just coming out of a compartment. He caught her.

"You should really look where you're going." He laughed. "Or are you determined to hurt yourself again?" He quipped.

"Myself? Really?" Claudia chuckled.

"_Again_. Sorry about James." Sirius said, before realising he was still holding her in his arms and slowly let her go. She really did not want him too.

"You coming to my parents party?" Sirius asked.

"Are you? That would be a first…" Claudia replied. Sirius laughed.

"I might make an exception this year…" He said, grinning.

"Don't tell my father. Otherwise, he'll definitely ground me again." Claudia chuckled. She heard someone clear their throat. There was a line to get to the trolley and they were in the way, completely oblivious. Sirius leaned closer to her, ignoring the complaining students.

"I hope you'll make it." He whispered and brushed his hand against Claudia's arm. The door into Sirius' compartment opened and someone yanked him back in.

"See you." He managed to say before the door shut behind him.

Claudia was still grinning when she got back to her compartment and dropped into her seat next to Alice. Everyone else had gone and they were alone. Claudia opened her chocolate frog and started munching it. Few second passed, before she noticed Alice looking at her.

"What?" Claudia asked, struggling to contain her laughter.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this happy…" Alice replied. Claudia laughed openly now.

"Why wouldn't I be? The artefact is gone..." Claudia said. Alice rolled her eyes and interrupted before Claudia could continue.

"Right… Because that's what this is about." She smirked. Claudia blushed and lowered her voice.

"He's totally flirting with me now." She said.

"He must be really obvious, when even you can tell!" Alice chucked.

"I know!" Exclaimed Claudia.

When they managed to stop laughing, Alice spoke again.

"Are you actually going to tell him that you like him?" She asked. Claudia shrugged. She was more inclined than ever to do so, but still nervous about it.

"Maybe. I want to know how he feels. I do." She paused. "But then again. If I'm wrong… That would be the end of our friendship. And I'd miss him." Claudia added. Alice sighed. She was frowning a little now.

"Whatever you do, just please think it through. You know what he's like." Alice said. Claudia smiled at her best friend. She knew Alice had serious reservations about Sirius. After all, his track record in the dating department was not great. But Claudia knew him better than almost anyone. He was a good friend to her. There was no reason why he would not be a good boyfriend too.

"I'll think it through, I promise." Claudia whispered and took another bite from her chocolate frog. They were almost in London.

Christmas had somehow been more bearable than usual. Claudia had been carrying the artefact fragment around ever since she got back. It was a source of strength to her. She reached into her pocket and squeezed it every time Marcus made fun of her, her mother made a disparaging remark about her appearance, or her father look at her with that deep disappointment in his face. It gave her a feeling of superiority. Nothing they said or did could get her down. She won. And that was all that mattered. The fact that the artefact also reminded her of Sirius was a definite bonus. She could not think of him without smiling.

"Claudia. Come in here." She heard her father's voice coming out of his study and stuck her head in.

"Sit down and close the door." He said, even more harshly than usual. "Your mother and I have decided that you will not be going back to Hogwarts. You will transfer to Durmstrang." He added.

It was like someone had punched Claudia in the stomach. She could feel her eyes filling up. They could not do this. Not now! She would never see Sirius again. Or Alice. This could not be happening.

"You can't do that." Claudia said, her voice trembling. Her father twisted his mouth.

"We can. And we will." He hissed.

Suddenly, Claudia had a thought. It was dangerous but she was desperate.

She reached into her pocket and tossed the artefact fragment onto her father's desk.

"Recognise this?" She asked, sharply. Her voice suddenly much steadier. Looking at the fragment gave her confidence.

Frederick did not move a muscle. He looked at the fragment, then at Claudia, then back at the fragment.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He replied slowly. You could practically hear the wheels in his brain turning. "Go pack your things, you're leaving tomorrow morning." He added.

"No, I'm not." Said Claudia and folded her arms. She had no idea why or how she was this cool. She was blackmailing a Death Eater after all! She went on. "You know what this is, or rather was… But importantly, I know what it was. And I also know who Marcus was trying to get it for." She continued to stare coldly into her father's eyes, looking for any sign of an emotion. "It's gone though, and neither you nor he will ever find the rest of it." Claudia finished.

Frederick slowly stood up from his chair. Claudia could see he was clutching his wand and, instinctively, reached for hers. Frederick scoffed.

"Do you really think you could defeat me?" He asked, mockingly. Claudia shrugged.

"It wouldn't matter. If anything happens to me, the Ministry will know all about it." She said. She was only half-bluffing. Sirius knew everything, but whether he would go and actually tell the Ministry was anyone's guess. Alice would have to convince him. Despite the situation, Claudia almost laughed out loud. The idea of the two of them working together, trying to revenge her was hilarious.

"Do you think I'm scared of the Ministry? I am the Ministry." Said Frederick, his mouth twisted in an evil smile. But Claudia was not letting it go.

"Not of the Ministry, no. But I know _he_ has spies everywhere. And if the Ministry knows, he knows too." She replied. A flicker of fear crossed Frederick's face.

"Get out of here." He hissed at Claudia. "I don't care that you're my daughter. If you ever mention this to anyone, even your mother, there will be hell to pay!" He added.

There was no need to say anything else. Claudia got what she wanted. There was no transfer to Durmstrang, she was sure of that. She reached for the fragment, but her father snatched it first.

"I'll keep this." He whispered. Claudia shrugged. It did not matter. Sirius still had the last fragment. Claudia turned on her heel and marched out of there. Her father's muttering followed her. "Filthy little blood-traitor."

She was horrified by what she just did. But also bit impressed and, frankly, proud. For the first time ever, she got to appreciate what the Sorting Hat was talking about when it sorted her to Slytherin. She could be ruthless, when she wanted to.

As a result of their conversation, Claudia had no problem convincing her father to be allowed to attend the Blacks' Christmas party. With Julius and Regulus also there, it was only natural that much of the conversation centred around Quidditch and their recent victory over Gryffindor. Claudia enjoyed it as much as anyone the first time around but having just listened to Regulus recounting his spectacular snitch catch for the fifth time, she just about had enough.

She hated these parties. They were full of stuffy relatives and her parents' acquittances quizzing her on banal topics. She was only looking forward to this one because Sirius promised he would turn up, but he is nowhere to be seen. She needed to tell him that her father knew.

To make matters worse, they were soon joined by Regulus' cousin Bellatrix, her sister Narcissa and her fiancé.

"I'm Lucius. Lucius Malfoy." Narcissa's fiance said and offered his hand to Claudia. "Bellatrix and I were just discussing the decree that the Minister of Magic passed… Disgrace. Father says that if the Minister keeps this up, the pure-bloods will soon be hounded out of the country. We might all have to retire to France and let this country fall into ruin." He quipped. Narcissa let out a tiny laugh and her older sister Bellatrix collapsed into a full-fledged fit. She turned to Regulus.

"Where is your brother anyway? I miss our little _discussions_." She asked. Her voice was unpleasant. Regulus chuckled. Claudia definitely had enough now. Last thing she needed was for Regulus to join the pure-blood brigade. She excused herself and disappeared to find a bathroom.

Instead, she stumbled upon a library. It was quiet and very impressive. The bookshelves were reaching all the way to the high ceiling and in the corner was an enormous grand piano. Just like the one that Claudia's mother forced her to practice on for hours and hours when she was little. To absolutely no avail.

Claudia browsed the books for few minutes, running her fingers over the old leather-bound volumes. She picked out the _Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Ancient Times_ and slumped onto a sofa, book in hand. The flames in the gas lamp were dancing around, creating a pleasant warm light. The noise from the party was barely audible. Claudia opened the book on a random page and got stuck in. No one would miss her for a few minutes. Or an hour…

"I came down here to rescue you. But I see I'm not needed - you are clearly enjoying the party." Claudia looked up and saw Sirius leaning against the door frame, watching her. Her heart skipped a beat or two. He looked like he even dressed up.

"Hey." Claudia smiled. "There is only as much Quidditch boasting as I can take... And your cousins are delightful." She added.

"Tell me about it." Sirius scowled. He walked across the library and sat down on the piano stool, facing Claudia.

"Anything interesting in there?" He asked, gesturing towards the book.

"Do you consider the differences between Greek and Roman wand-making interesting?" She asked, smirking. Sirius laughed and shook his head. "Then, no." Claudia added, shutting the book.

They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment and then, Sirius started to run his fingers across the piano.

"You play?" Claudia asked.

"A little." He replied, turning towards it and began to play. He played more than just a little, Claudia thought. She watched him. His long fingers running across the keys. His hair hanging across his face. It got longer. He must be growing it out.

She wanted nothing more than to kiss him right there. It was all she could think about. Claudia had no idea how long he played for, or that he stopped. He must have noticed her staring into space.

"Something on your mind?" He asked, startling her. There was something on her mind… Him! But she just could not summon the courage. Not yet.

"I need to tell you something. My father…" She said, hoping that talking about her father might help her find her bearings. Sirius looked around.

"Not here. The walls have ears. Let's get out of here. I can walk you home." He said. It was a good idea. Claudia like walking and it was a beautiful evening.

They wrapped themselves tightly in their coats. Claudia scribbled a note for her parents and gave it to the house-elf. She was not feeling too well… There was no way she would have done this few weeks ago. Having the artefact hanging over her father's head was liberating.

"We haven't celebrated getting rid of that thing yet." Said Sirius, just before they walked out of the door. He reached into a cupboard and grabbed a bottle of champagne. They walked out into the square. It was a long walk from Grimmauld Place to Hampstead where Claudia lived, but neither of them seemed to mind. They walked slowly shoulder to shoulder. They talked and talked. It was so easy to chat to him. Even with all the confused feelings. They had so much in common.

"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?" Sirius remembered after nearly an hour.

"Oh yes… I had to tell my father that the artefact is gone." Claudia said. Sirius stopped in his tracks.

"Why?" He asked, shocked.

"I had to." Claudia sighed. "He was going to send me to Durmstrang." Sirius frowned.

"Are you telling me you're blackmailing him?" He asked. Claudia smiled coyly and nodded. She loved how she never had to explain anything to him. He just knew what she meant.

"What happened to being careful, eh?" Said Sirius. But behind the joke, he looked anxious.

"Don't tell me you're worried." Said Claudia.

"Of course, I'm worried, you idiot… Your father is a monster!" He whispered. Claudia shrugged.

"Would you rather they sent me to Durmstrang?" She asked. Sirius put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her hair, but he must have thought better of it. Or she imagined it.

"Obviously not." Sirius replied after a long pause. "I'd miss you… And besides, where would I get the illicit potions? Have you thought of that?" He added. Claudia chuckled, but did not say anything.

They walked in silence for a minute or two. Sirius sighed.

"I need a drink." He said, let go of Claudia and popped open the bottle of champagne he was still carrying. He took a swing out of it and passed it to Claudia.

"What is your father going to do?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. But it's not the end of it. You didn't see his face. He was scared." Claudia replied.

"Are you sure you should be going back there tonight?" Said Sirius, his frown returning.

"Don't really have a choice. And anyway, I told my father that the authorities would be alerted if something was to happened to me." She said, before adding. "So you better make sure you live to tell the tale." Sirius gave her a brief smile but looked far from convinced.

They arrived at the top of Parliament Hill. The view was beautiful. Claudia crashed on the bench behind them. She was tired and, frankly, at this point also very tipsy. She had champagne before. But never more than a glass. It was a really strange feeling.

They sat on bench, sharing what was left of the bottle. Claudia shivered. It was December after all. Without a word, Sirius took off his scarf, wrapped it around her and pulled her closer to him for warmth. He cleared his throat and look across snowy London.

"You think Marcus is going to find another way of doing it?" He asked. It was a rhetorical question. He continued. "I suppose, we could start by looking at the necromancy book again. It might have some spells…"

Claudia sighed. She could not fight it anymore. If she ever wanted to do it, it had to be now.

"Are you _ever_ going to kiss me?" She whispered, looking straight at Sirius.

He turned towards her. Their faces were almost touching.

"I didn't think you wanted me to…" He whispered back. Claudia shook her head.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart…" She barely finished the sentence, before Sirius' lips were touching hers.

It was as if the world stopped existing around them. All the feelings she had been trying to supress just burst out of her chest. She never felt anything like it before. Sirius slowly stopped kissing her and pulled away a little. Their foreheads were still touching. He looked into Claudia's eyes, almost as if he was asking whether he should continue or not. Claudia smiled at him, closed her eyes and kissed him back. She could feel that Sirius had grinned for a brief moment. He buried his fingers in the hair on the back of Claudia's head. They continue to kiss and lost track of time.

"We should go… It's late… Probably…" Claudia whispered between kisses. She had no idea what the time was.

"I don't want to…" Sirius groaned. Claudia slowly stood up, still kissing him. Sirius reluctantly stood up too.

"Fine." He whispered and kissed her for the final time. Claudia shivered again, suddenly feeling very cold. Sirius looked like he was about to take his coat off and give it to her.

"Don't be stupid. You already gave me your scarf! You'd freeze to death." She laughed. Sirius chuckled too and grabbed her in his arms.

"I have to keep you warm somehow. It's my duty now." He whispered and kissed her again.

"I feel warmer already…" Claudia whispered back.

They made their way down the hill in an embrace, stopping every minute or so to steal another kiss. This was what heaven must feel like, Claudia thought.

They were getting close to Frognal Gardens, where the Averys lived.

"Did you really not think?" That I wanted to kiss you?" Asked Claudia. She was definitely blushing. Sirius scratched his head.

"I never had to think about any of this before. Most girls are not very subtle… But with you, it's hard." He whispered.

"What do you mean?" Claudia chuckled.

"I mean… You're my friend. I've never wanted to kiss a friend before. Agonised over it for months." He replied. It was good to know that she was not the only one agonising over her feelings.

"Even when we were mad at each other?" Claudia asked, squeezing his hand.

"Especially when we were mad at each other." Sirius said and pulled her into a tight hug. They kissed and laughed together.

They turned a corner into a quiet residential street.

"This is me…" Said Claudia, nodding towards a large townhouse. It was not necessary, Sirius knew where she lived. She just was not sure what to do next.

"Good night then." Whispered Sirius. He brushed Claudia's windswept hair from her face and kissed her again.

It took all the willpower she had to go inside the house. Her parents could be home any minute and if they caught them, she would be on her way to Durmstrang tonight. Not even You-Know-Who's wrath over the loss of the artefact could save her.

In a dream like state, Claudia walked up to her room, shut the door and sank into bed. Her head was spinning.

She was not sure whether it was the kiss or the champagne. Or both.

She was waiting for this to happen for so long and it finally did. All her worries about the inferi, her father, Marcus and OWLs were gone. She never felt this happy before.

She fell asleep almost instantly, clutching onto Sirius' scarf. And she did not care how pathetic that was.

_AN: I like to listen to old rock music when planning and writing, and sometimes a song captures the mood of the scene perfectly. For this chapter, it is 'Can't fight this feeling' by REO Speedwagon. Bit cheesy, I know. But every time I hear, I cannot help but picture them sitting up on that hill and sharing their first kiss._


	17. Chapter 17 (Worse than Durmstrang)

**Worse than Durmstrang**

Claudia woke up the next morning, still smiling. She spent an hour, just lying in bed and remembering every second from the previous night. She could still feel Sirius' fingers in her hair. His lips on hers…

The turmoil she felt ever since she realised that she had feelings for him was gone. It was replaced by pure happiness.

The house-elf had to come three times to tell her to come down to breakfast before Claudia finally managed to get out of bed. She regretted that immediately. It turned out that she did not feel too well standing upright. The champagne had definitely caught up with her.

With some difficulty, she managed to kneel in front of her trunk and carefully fold Sirius' scarf in order to put it amongst her Quidditch robes. She could not help but bury her face in it once more. The scarf still smelled like him. Claudia was just grateful that it was not a Gryffindor scarf. That would be hard to explain away if anyone stumbled upon it.

When she was putting her robes back to the bottom of the trunk, Claudia noticed that the notebook she got from Sirius was again covered in tree leaves. That meant that there was a new message. She could not help but smile again.

She just could not wait to see him. Maybe they could meet up in Diagon Alley before the start of term.

Claudia opened the notebook and read Sirius' message. Her heart sank instantly.

_"I am sorry, Claude. Last night was a mistake. I can't do this." _

Claudia stared at the page for a good minute. Her mind was completely blank. The hangover certainly did not help.

She just did not understand. She picked up a quill.

_"If this is your idea of a joke, it's not very funny." _

Claudia scribbled back, her hand shaking. She could not move. This could not be real… After ten minutes or so, Sirius' handwriting appeared again.

_"I'm sorry. Can we go back to being friends?" _

Claudia threw the notebook into the bottom of her opened wardrobe with all the strength she could muster. The tears started to come down her face and there was nothing Claudia could do to stop them.

They were angry tears. At first, she was angry with Sirius for ditching her. What was he playing at? Then, she became more angry at herself for ever believing they could be happy together. For believing that Sirius could actually be with someone for longer than a week. How many girls did she see him drop over the years? She should never have told him to kiss her… She should have been stronger.

The house-elf came knocking again.

"Tell my parents I don't feel well." Claudia muttered. There was no way she would be able to get through a breakfast with her family.

"Family…" Claudia scoffed once Sky left the room. She did not have a family. Not really. She could not confide in or trust any of them. Normally, she would not let it bother her. But at this moment, it dawned on her just how profoundly sad and alone she was. No one ever loved her. How could she let herself think that Sirius would be any different?

She told him everything… He was one of the only two people in the world that she truly trusted. With her secrets. And her emotions, that were buried so deep that Claudia did not often recognise them herself. And now, he did this. Claudia began to cry again. But these were not angry tears anymore, they were tears of overwhelming sadness.

Claudia's mother popped her head in late in the afternoon.

"Are you feeling better, dear? You look awful." Cassandra said. There, she was not wrong. Claudia felt awful. She shuffled closer to the door. She did not want her mother to come inside.

"I'll be fine. But can I have dinner in my room?" Claudia whispered, blowing her nose profusely to hide the tears. Cassandra looked disappointed.

"Your father is expecting you. We have guests coming." She said.

"Please…" Claudia muttered and blew her nose again. Cassandra's mouth narrowed.

"Fine. Your father will be disappointed though." She said and disappeared downstairs again.

Cassandra was right. Claudia's father was certainly disappointed in her, but not because she was going to miss his dinner. Claudia thought back to the conversation she had with her father few weeks ago. It made her angry again. So angry in fact, that she kicked her bed and bruised her toe.

She felt so stupid for telling him about the artefact. If she had not, Marcus would spend the rest of his life searching the Astronomy Tower. But now, they were bound to hatch some new scheme. Find another way to fulfil You-Know-Who's will. Sure, she would have been on her way to Durmstrang, but how bad could that really be? It was a good school. And she would not have to deal with seeing Sirius ever again.

She dropped back onto her bed, hiding her face in the pillow. What was she going to do when she saw him? Or say? She still could not understand why Sirius would write that note. She knew that she was not exactly his type, but until this morning, she was so sure that he felt something for her. Something more than just a friendship.

He had been flirting with her for months. They nearly kissed in the potions storeroom before. And that night on the Parliament Hill, he looked so happy. Happier than she had ever seen him before. There was no way he was faking that. He could not have.

Claudia lifted her face from the pillow and took a deep breath. Maybe, this was all just some stupid misunderstanding. Maybe it would all be ok when they saw each other at school.

Claudia spent the rest of the week torturing herself over Sirius. One minute, she was sure she never wanted to speak to him again. The next one, she was convinced that it was just a mistake and it would all be ok again.

Worst of all, she just could not get their kiss out of her head. It was all she could think about. And every time she did, silent tears started falling down her cheeks again.

But she did not dare touch the notebook. She was too much of a coward to write to Sirius and ask him why he thought it was a mistake. What if he really did mean it?

Trying to fall asleep in the evenings was the hardest. On the third night of torment, Claudia suddenly sat up in bed.

"That's enough." She whispered to herself. She was sick and tired of crying over some stupid note. This was not her. She jumped from the bed and dug out the Herbology textbook. She needed to do something more useful with herself. Studying was bound to take her mind of things. And it did.

Claudia spent the rest of the holidays shut in her room, working. Her parents had to tell her off repeatedly for reading at the dinner table. She lost count of how many times she woke up in the morning on an opened textbook. But she kept going. She had no choice. Every time she stopped working, she thought of Sirius and her eyes filled up with tears again.

At the beginning of January, it was time to go back to school. Claudia felt sick to her stomach on the way to King's Cross. She did not spend fifteen seconds on the Hogwarts Express platform before she disappeared into the train. She was in the 'don't-want-to-see-him-ever-again' stage of the cycle and was planning to spend the whole journey hiding in the prefects' carriage.

But it was lonely, and Claudia was bored. Boredom meant too much time to think and more tears. She needed a distraction, so she set off to find Alice. She was not looking forward telling her best friend about what happened. She knew exactly what Alice was going to say…

Claudia found Alice sitting with a couple of Hufflepuff girls from her year and Eleanor. Claudia had seen these girls around. Always surrounded by friends, dressed in the latest fashion, and with five admirers on each arm. Alice introduce them. The pretty girl with long, blond hair was called Daisy and the other one was Jane. Why Alice was sitting with them, Claudia did not know.

She did not quite have the energy to join the conversation and just stared out of the window, listening to them. They were awfully daft, but better than sitting alone and crying.

"And how was your Christmas, Daisy?" Asked Eleanor. She was always so good at making polite conversation, Claudia thought to herself. Being nice to everyone. Even people she did not like. Claudia could never do that.

"Well." Said Daisy, smiling and giving Jane a knowing look. Jane giggled. "We had a New Year's party that got really interesting." The girls huddled closer together. Daisy continued.

"I sent out owls to a quite few people from school, and you would not believe who turned up. James and Sirius. In my house!" Daisy said. Jane squealed with excitement. Claudia shuffled uncomfortably and stared out of the window with renewed determination. She no longer wanted to listen but did not have a choice. She could hardly storm out of there now.

"Sirius was sitting on the balcony, smoking and brooding about something… You know what I mean. The misunderstood bad boy act of his." Daisy said. Everyone laughed. Even Claudia almost raised a smile, she knew exactly what Daisy meant. She could practically picture him. The smoking was new though.

"I took him some drinks... One thing led to another and we kissed." Daisy continued.

Claudia could feel the tears coming again. She could not help but to glance at Alice, who was looking at her and wearing a very worried expression. She wished with all her heart that Daisy would shut up. Or that a boulder would fall through the roof of the Hogwarts Express and crush her. Anything to stop this. But Daisy was not done.

"And that's not all. He then _stayed the night_, if you know what I mean…" Daisy winked. They all knew what she meant. There were gasps.

"How was that?" Someone asked. But Claudia could not take it anymore. She could not hold the tears in. She stood up and run out of the compartment.

"I hope she isn't upset over this. It's not like Sirius would ever date someone like her..." She could hear Daisy say.

Claudia run the length the carriage and slid on the floor at the end of the train where no one could see. It was no misunderstanding. Sirius did to her what he did to all the other girls. How could she ever think he was going to be any different with her. She was crushed and humiliated.

Alice joined her few minutes later and put her arm around Claudia's shoulders.

"I'm so sorry… I know you like him. But look on the bright side, at least you haven't told him. You can still be friends, if you want to." Alice whispered. Claudia put her face in her hands and sobbed.

"He knows full well how I feel." She managed to mutter. "I saw him at Christmas, and we kissed." She added. Between sobs, Claudia told Alice about the walk, about the kiss, about the note.

"He is so not worth it... Anyone, who would rather be with Daisy than you, is not worth it…" Alice said, frowning and squeezing her best friend. Claudia managed to raise the tiniest of smiles.

"At least I know how he feels about me, eh? Just another stupid girl to him…" She said, sarcastically. Alice was not amused.

"It's ok to be sad. You don't have to make a joke out of it..." She whispered. Claudia leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. If only she could stay hiding here forever. She would not have to face Daisy or Sirius. She was so mad at herself for not being able to keep it together.

"I thought I was stronger than this… I feel so pathetic." Alice did not say anything for a while, trying to find the right words.

"This is on him, not you. Promise me you won't torture yourself." Sge said finally.

Claudia sighed. Easier said than done, she thought to herself.

"I'd so much rather be at Durmstrang right now..." She said instead.

"What are you talking about?" Alice asked, with a frown. It had completely slipped Claudia's mind that in the midst of all of the Sirius drama, she did not have a chance to tell Alice about the conversation with her father. "

Funny story…" She began to say. But before she got any further, she could hear someone's footsteps.

Claudia began to manically dry her eyes. But it was completely pointless. It was Lily. She opened her mouth as if she was going to tell her fellow prefect off again, but closed it when she saw what state Claudia was in.

"I'll tell them you're sick." Lily said.

Claudia managed to mouth a silent "thanks" before Lily walked away.

"Do I really look that bad? That even _she_ took pity on me?" Claudia asked Alice once Lily was out of earshot.

"I'm going to be honest… You look pretty wild." Alice replied. They both chuckled. "You were about to explain the Durmstrang thing." Alice added.

Claudia recounted her father's threat and their new 'arrangement'. Alice looked at her wide-eyed.

"You really are a bit mad sometimes, you know that, right?" Alice asked.

"At least I'll get to do what I want now. Can't see him banning me from coming to see you in the summer again…" Claudia replied. They sat in silence for a while.

"I can't go back to the compartment..." Whispered Claudia.

They spent the rest of the journey sitting by the door, eating chocolate off the trolley. By the time they reached Hogwarts, Claudia managed to wash her face, brush her hair, and regain at least some of her composure. She could almost pass as a human being again.

Claudia sat down at the feast with her back to the Gryffindor table. Anything to postpone the inevitable. Her Slytherin friends were looking at her little bewildered. Her eyes still must have been pretty red, so she told them she had a cold.

"I've got some Pepper Up Potion in my trunk. If you wanted any." Said Julius.

"I've seen these symptoms before" Regulus smirked. "I don't think Pepper Up Potion will help in the slightest…" He added. Claudia looked away. It was no surprise Regulus saw through it. It was a rubbish excuse.

"I'll be fine. Will have to be. We've got practice on Saturday." Claudia muttered. Talk of Quidditch seemed to have distracted Regulus. And just in time…

Every time Claudia looked at him, she wanted to cry again. She never thought that Regulus and Sirius looked anything alike. She would not be able to tell they were brothers. Sirius was taller, his face was narrower, his features were stronger, and his hair was darker and longer. She had no idea why it bothered her so much, looking at Regulus.

And then, she noticed his eyes. They were the same as Sirius'.

There were the tears again. Claudia took out her handkerchief and blew her nose. How on Earth was she going to get through her classes with Sirius, when she could not get through a feast sitting with his brother?

Muggle studies was going to be the absolute worst. It was a small class and they usually sat together, but not this time. That would be unbearable. Claudia dove for a single empty seat in the front row and buried her face in her book, desperately hoping it was going to get easier overtime.

She did not remember a single thing that happened in that lesson. She continued to read well after everyone else had left. Anything to avoid seeing or talking to Sirius. But as she turned to leave, she saw him sitting on a desk at the back of the classroom, waiting for her.

Sirius jumped down from the desk when she approached. He opened his mouth, but Claudia cut him off.

"There is nothing to talk about. You've made yourself perfectly clear." She said, abruptly. Sirius lowered his eyes.

"Do you think we could still be…" He whispered, but Claudia interrupted him again.

"Friends? No. Sorry. I can't." She said, trying very hard to keep her composure.

"But I want to help you. Marcus is bound to keep trying." Sirius said. Claudia shook her head.

"I'll be fine." She whispered, pushed past Sirius and walked out of the classroom.

She had no idea whether he followed her or not. She did not look back and run as fast as she could to the dungeons. She threw herself on the bed and shut the curtains around her. She was in so much pain. She had no hope of ever getting past it. There was not enough homework in the world.

But Claudia managed to survive the next day. And then a week. Day by day, she cried less and less. There was so much studying to do and the February Quidditch game to train for. After couple of weeks, Claudia could even get through a class with Sirius without wanting to cry her eyes out. She was relieved. After all, it was not fair. All of this was his fault, yet she was the one who ended up with a broken heart.

It made her feel so stupid and weak. She could not have that. She needed to be strong. Otherwise, everything she wanted and worked for – her exams, Quidditch – would have gone up in a puff of smoke. All because of a stupid boy. So, Claudia did what she did best. She studied and studied until she could not keep her eyes open any longer. As long as she did not put the book down, she was ok.

One day in late January, Claudia was having lunch with Alice. Or more precisely, she was sitting next to Alice, while eating her lunch and reading the Charms textbook at the same time. Alice watched her with pity.

"How long are you planning to keep this up?! You're going to self-destruct…" Alice said.

"Until I graduate, or he vanishes from the face of the Earth. Whichever comes first." Claudia muttered in response. She did not, however, raised her head or stopped reading.

"At least, read something lighter for a bit." Alice said, pried the book out of Claudia's hands and gave her the Daily Prophet instead.

Claudia groaned and reached back for her textbook. Alice laughed and shook her head.

"No. After lunch. Someone needs to look after you if you won't." Alice chuckled.

Claudia rolled her eyes and unfolded the newspapers. She began scanning the Daily Prophet for any mention of You-Know-Who. It had become bit of a habit over the last year. On the sixth page, she spotted a small picture of someone that look familiar. A fellow Slytherin who must have graduated a year or two earlier.

He got arrested trying to break into the Ministry of Magic. He confessed that he was doing it on You-Know-Who's orders. As a test to join the Death Eaters. The article did not say what he was trying to get at the Ministry or how he was caught. Only that he died on the way to Azkaban in 'mysterious circumstances'.

Claudia passed the article to Alice.

"This must be it. The artefact was Marcus' test. Test to join the Death Eaters." She whispered. Alice looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"Have you ever considered what You-Know-Who is going to do to them when he figures out that they failed?" Alice asked. Claudia did not know what to say. She had never thought of it that way. It was always about getting to the artefact before Marcus did and then destroying it before they realised…

Claudia thought about it for a while. She remembered how unhappy You-Know-Who was when she saw him in the summer.

"They can't fail. It's not an option." Claudia whispered. For the first time, she felt little guilty. She did not like her father or Marcus but did not exactly want their blood on her hands either.

"What do you think they will do?" Asked Alice.

"There must be other ways of creating the inferi. I remember it from the book." Claudia replied. Alice looked puzzled. She did not know what book Claudia was talking about.

"A book about necromancy. Sirius and I…" Claudia sighed. It was still hard for her to say his name. But she managed to continue, without crying this time. "Sirius and I stole it from the restricted section last year. That's where we found out about the artefact."

Alice frowned. She may have been a Gryffindor, but she was certainly a law-abiding one.

"Do you still have it?" She asked. Claudia shook her head.

"We've put it back to throw Marcus off the scent. With some modifications… That's why he spent most of last year running up and down the Astronomy Tower." Claudia said. She could not help but chuckle. And then, she wanted to cry again. Hunting the artefact with Sirius used to be fun.

Alice put her arm around Claudia's shoulder.

"We'll find a way to get it." Alice whispered. Claudia raised her head suddenly.

"We? Are you volunteering to help me?" She asked, suddenly full of excitement. Never in a million years did she expect this.

"Don't make me regret it." Alice said.

Claudia hugged her best friend back. She could not wait to star planning their first scheme.


	18. Chapter 18 (Valentine's Day)

**Valentine's Day**

"Let's go through the plan again…" Said Claudia to Alice as they were on the way to the library, about a week later. "You distract Pince and I will try to slip into the Restricted Section. I need ten minutes. When I'm done…" She said, but Alice interrupted. She did not look too happy about what she was being asked to do.

"When you're done, you'll cast a spell to make the candlestick fall over and I'll make sure Pince notices before anyone can extinguish it. To give you time to get out of there." She finished in a tired voice. They have been through it at least a dozen times. Claudia smiled. She knew this was not easy for Alice.

"It'll be fine. I promise." She said.

But it was far from fine. Alice's distraction did not work and Pince caught Claudia in the corner of her eye, just as she put one leg over the rope.

"Where do you think you're going?" She barked. Claudia got so startled that she dropped the books she was holding as decoy.

"Nowhere, Madame Pince. Just dropped something…" She said and picked up her possessions. Alice was grimacing at her. Pince did not look like she believed Claudia for a second. She was bound to watch them like a hawk for the rest of the day. They would have to find another way into the Restricted Section if they wanted to get their hands on the necromancy book.

"Well, that was a disaster." Exhaled Claudia, as she sat down trying to regroup in the corner of the library.

"Can't you just ask a teacher for a permission slip?" Alice asked. Claudia narrowed her eyebrows. She was trying to remember if there was anything in the OWLs curriculum that may require a permission slip for the necromancy book, but she could not think of anything…

"I don't have a good enough reason. You?" Claudia asked. Alice looked down at her hands. There was a long pause. Claudia was growing impatient. If Alice had a solution, why did not she say anything earlier?!

"I need to pick a project for Dark Arts. I was going to write about the imperius curse. But I could, I suppose…" Alice said quietly. Claudia was practically jumping up and down in her chair.

"But would he let you switch, the Professor? And pick the inferi?" She whispered urgently.

"I think so…" Alice shrugged. "But I'm not sure I want to do that." She sighed.

"Please. It's really important." Claudia whispered.

"They're repulsive. I don't want to spend a whole year reading and writing about them." Alice said. She was not giving up without a fight. Claudia smiled at her again.

"I know they're repulsive. But that's why Marcus needs to be stopped. We need to find out what he is up to." She said, resolutely. Alice took a deep breath and thought about it.

"Fine." She said finally. "I'll do it." Claudia's face lit up. "But I'm not getting into trouble with Pince again. Or lying to her… She's nice." Alice added. Claudia rolled her eyes. What was the Gryffindors' problem with lying?! So tiresome…

"Fine. If you manage to get the permission slip, we won't have to lie." She replied. Alice took another deep breath.

"I'll try tomorrow." She sighed. Claudia clapped excitedly. She could not wait to get her hands on that book again.

Claudia did not know what Alice said or did, but her best friend was gripping the permission slip in her hand, when the two of them met up in the Great Hall the following day. Claudia could barely eat and made Alice take the permission to Pince straight after lunch. But Pince was still weary of them after the earlier incident. She would only let Alice read the book at the librarian's desk and watched her closely.

Claudia was sitting nervously across the library staring in Alice's direction. She was unable to keep still and was kicking herself. Why did she not read the book properly herself when she had the chance? Or copied it like she did the _Moste Potente Potions_ that summer in Bavaria. She would not need to be sitting here now like an idiot, watching Alice do all the hard work. She could not actually do it. She left the library and went for a walk in the grounds.

But she could not walk around for long. She did not want to wait a second longer than was necessary, so went and waited for Alice in front of the Great Hall.

"So? What did you find?" She asked, impatiently, when Alice joined her.

"Not here." Alice hissed and went to find a quiet corner. They sat down.

"It's proper dark magic." Alice whispered. Claudia had only just noticed that Alice was quite pale.

"The book just said that there were spells. But not really describe them in detail… Just hints…" Alice continued.

"What hints?" Claudia asked, abruptly. Alice shushed her and looked around nervously.

"It just said something about incantations in a tongue I've never heard of. And…" Alice paused and swallowed hard. "And that there is a special way to murder someone that gets you _better results._" She added. Alice was now as white as a sheet.

Claudia looked away. She was now as pale and shaken as Alice. Of course, she knew that inferi were reanimated corpses. But she always thought that you could just go to a graveyard and raise people that were long dead. Not that her brother would need to become a murderer to do this. Alice recovered her composure first.

"What are we going to do? How can we stop him?" She asked. Claudia looked at Alice and shook her head.

"We can't stop him learning a spell…" She said.

"Then we have to tell someone. What about my dad?" Alice jumped in. Claudia sighed.

"We need a proof that he's actually up to something bad… We wait. We follow him." Claudia said impatiently. They had been through this before.

Alice did not look happy about that suggestion at all.

"That's dangerous." She whispered. Claudia knew Alice was right. But it had to be done.

"We will be in a lot more danger if he succeeds." Claudia replied. Alice bit her lip. She could not argue with that.

So, over the next few days, they began to devise a plan to keep an eye on Marcus.

"I can ask someone to keep an eye on him in class." Alice whispered, blushing profusely.

"Who? Wait… Are you telling me…?" Claudia asked, chuckling. But before she could say anything else, Alice interrupted.

"We are just friends…" She sad. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Right, I've heard that before. And you are about as believable as I was…" She said, remembering how she was trying to convince everyone, including herself, that there was nothing more to her friendship with Sirius. A shadow crossed her face. Thinking about him was still deeply upsetting. But Alice did not notice. She looked busy dealing with her own emotions. Claudia never seen Alice like this before. She looked pitiful and completely lost for words.

"Fine, his name is Joseph. He's in Marcus' year. In Ravenclaw." Alice whispered so quietly that Claudia could barely hear.

"And?" Asked Claudia, eyes twinkling.

"And we are going on a date." Alice added. She was as red as the Gryffindor jumper she was wearing.

"I want to meet him!" Exclaimed Claudia.

"Absolutely not." Alice replied sharply. She was back to her old self. Claudia was about to ask why but there was no need. "You'll just scare him off." Alice added. That made Claudia laugh.

"You're probably right… But I still want to meet him." She said.

"Fine. _After_ the date. If it goes well." Alice replied. She looked uncomfortable and Claudia did not want to torment her any further. The inferi was causing them both quite a lot of stress already.

"Good. That's sorted. And I can keep an eye on him in the common room…" She said. Alice was visibly relieved that this was the end of that particular conversation.

"I'll take the library." Alice continued.

"He doesn't go to the library. Hates books. I'd be surprised if he could read…" Claudia smirked. "But keep an eye on Snape in there. He practically lives there." She added. Alice took a long pause, looking bit nervous.

"Well, they can't get to him there." She said, quietly. Claudia must have looked like she did not know what Alice was talking about. "Sirius and the others." Alice added, looking away. Claudia took a deep breath. It took all her strength to talk about him.

"I made him promise he won't do anything to Marcus. I have foolishly forgot to make him promise not to bully Severus." She said. Her voice was shaking a little.

"I thought it would bother you. The bullying…" Alice replied.

"Why should it bother me of all people…?" Claudia shrugged. "Severus and I have never really been friends." She added but then it struck her. "Ah, because I've been bullied?" She asked.

"Well, yes." Alice whispered.

"Look, Severus is no saint." Claudia paused, thinking back to when Marcus attacked her. She never really thought about it before. "He just stood there and watched Marcus hurt me. Smirking." She whispered. Months had passed but it was still upsetting. Alice bit her lip. She looked like she was dying to say something but did not dare to.

"What?" Claudia barked defensively. Alice sighed.

"Do you think he would turn out like this if they haven't bullied him all these years?" She asked.

"Did _I_ turn out to be a Death Eater?" Claudia quipped. She was frowning. Alice was not being fair.

"Is he a Death Eater too?" She asked.

"It's only a matter of time…" Claudia shrugged.

They finished their dinner in silence and made their way out of the Great Hall. As they were about to part ways, Claudia turned to Alice and whispered.

"Please be careful… They know someone is helping me. It doesn't take a genius to work out it's you. And Marcus is a thug." Alice gave her a brief smile, but Claudia knew she was worried. She would have much rather told her dad and let the Ministry take care of it. But they needed a proof first.

So they watched and watched. Marcus did not seem to be up to much. Snape did, however, spent an awful lot of time in the library. He also had this really old book with him which did not have any inscription or library labels. It reminded Claudia of the dark magic book she found in Tomes and Scrolls. But she could not for the life of her figure out what exactly it was that Severus was reading. Every time she got anywhere near him, he hid the book immediately.

It was nearly mid-February now. Claudia just got back from a particularly gruelling Quidditch practice and joined Eleanor and Alice at dinner, dying for a hot plate of soup.

Like every evening, she began to scan the Great Hall to see what Marcus and Severus were up to. Marcus was sitting with his gang, who were laughing at his lame jokes. And Severus was sitting by himself, hidden behind a book. She was desperate for them to make a move. She was on top of her Quidditch game and homework and was in real danger of becoming bored again.

As Claudia's eyes travelled across the Great Hall, she noticed Daisy sitting further along her table. She was poking her dinner with a fork and looked like she had been crying. Eleanor noticed that Claudia was looking in Daisy's direction.

"Rumour has it that Sirius had not asked her out for Valentine's Day... And when she brought it up, he just shrugged and walked away. They haven't spoken since." Eleanor whispered. Claudia felt like she ought to feel bad for Daisy. She knew that her predicament was not really Daisy's fault. But Claudia just was not a big enough person to bring herself to do it. If anything, it made her feel a bit happy. She was just about ok that Sirius and her did not speak anymore. But seeing him with Daisy would have brought all the anger back again. She could not go thought that again.

"Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day?" Claudia asked Eleanor to change the subject. She really was not ready to discuss Sirius' love life with anyone. Eleanor blushed.

"Do you know Ian Fletcher? I think he might ask me out… At least I hope so. You?" Asked Eleanor in return.

"Me? No way." Claudia laughed. "Have you ever known me to have any plans on Valentine's Day? It's just not my thing." She added. She was not being entirely flippant here. Even if she had a boyfriend, the usual Valentine's traditions filled her with absolute dread. The heartfelt cards, the flowers, the silly little teashop in Hogsmeade. It was all awful.

"I pity anyone who tries to ask you out…" Eleanor chuckled. That made Claudia laugh.

"So do I." She replied.

Claudia was, therefore, completely bemused to see a brown owl drop a little red envelope in her lap at breakfast few days later. All her reservations about Valentine's Day were forgotten in an instant. Maybe, just maybe, it was from Sirius. He had broken up with Daisy after all.

But Claudia's heart sank when the handwriting was not his. How could she let herself have hope. Even for that brief moment. He did not deserve that.

Claudia opened the envelope with curiosity and her jaw practically hit the table when she read the message.

_"Happy Valentine's Day. I cannot believe it took me this long to ask, but will you have a tea with me? Julius" _

Claudia looked up from the note and scanned the Great Hall to see where Julius was sitting. When she finally found him, their eyes locked. He must have been watching her. Claudia smiled at him and waved uncomfortably. She did not know what else to do. Julius blushed and returned to his breakfast. Well, this is very awkward, Claudia thought to herself.

Claudia looked back at the note and did not even notice that Alice and Eleanor had joined her at breakfast.

"Who is the poor soul that sent you this!?" Asked Eleanor excitedly.

"Julius." Claudia whispered, still entirely perplexed. Eleanor chuckled.

"That poor boy has been in love with you for ages." Eleanor said, chuckling.

"No, he hasn't." Claudia scoffed. "We're just friends. All we ever talk about is Quidditch…" She continued but Eleanor looked far from convinced. "How would you even know?" Added Claudia, still convinced that this was some sort of an elaborate joke.

"It's the way he looks at you. And he's always making sure you're ok… You had no idea?" Asked Eleanor, giggling. Claudia did not even have a chance to respond, as Alice burst out laughing.

"Of course not. She's useless at this." Claudia could not help but to chuckle also. She really was useless.

"You should go out with him. He seems nice." Whispered Alice. Claudia sighed and looked again toward where Julius was sitting.

"He's nice. But also a bit… I don't know… Dull?" She said.

"Dull might not be the worst thing for you right now." Alice replied through gritted teeth. Claudia knew exactly what, or rather who, Alice was talking about. She shot her best friend a menacing look, but Alice was not done. "You need to start somewhere and Julius seems like a perfectly sensible place to start."

Claudia wanted to protest. She did not need Alice's help to get over Sirius. She wanted to tell her that there was nothing to get over anymore. But Eleanor was sitting with them and she did not know.

"I'll think about it." Was all that Claudia could bring herself to say, so she submerged herself into Transfiguration instead.

Later that evening, Claudia was sitting on her bed, turning the Valentine's card over in her hand. Julius was nice, not stupid, tall and good-looking, in a sort of measured proper way. If they did go out, Claudia's mother was going to have a field day. A sensible, pure-blood boy! Probably a good reason not to go on that date, Claudia thought to herself. But that made her laugh. Even by her standards, that would be a dumb thing to do.

Claudia and Julius had been friends for a long time. Ever since they met on their first ride on the Hogwarts Express. Claudia never thought about Julius that way. But maybe she should have. She was sick to death, moping about Sirius. Alice was right, he did not deserve that. And what harm could one date do… That settled it, she was going to go.

They agreed to go at the next Hogsmeade weekend. But before then, there was still the small matter of the second Quidditch game to get through. It was a nervy game against Ravenclaw. The chasers just were not clicking and Julius had a nightmare of a game. All they could manage was to buy Regulus enough time to catch the snitch. They won by mere seventy points. But with their big victory against Gryffindor earlier, all was still in their hands. Even so, Claudia could not remember a more subdued party in the Slytherin common room.

The team was sitting largely in silence, all clutching their drinks and staring into space. They were a great team, cut above everyone else. Doing this badly was outright bizarre. They had no idea how to deal with it… The only one who had a cause to celebrate was Regulus.

"Maybe, I should replicate myself and play all the positions." He roared. Nobody laughed, least of all Julius who went all red. He knew he had not done well at all. "Or at least keeper. Can't do worse than Nott." Regulus continued.

Julius stood up abruptly, pushed Regulus out of the way and run out of the Slytherin common room. Claudia shook her head and put down her glass.

"You really are a moron." She said to Regulus and followed Julius out of the door. She found him sitting on nearby steps and sat down next to him.

"He doesn't mean it. It's just the butterbeer talking." She whispered. "Everyone has bad days… You're a great kee…" But Claudia did not finish that sentence. Julius leaned in and gave her a brief kiss.

She must have looked really startled because he began to apologise almost instantly. But there was no need. It made Claudia feel good. She shuffled closer to him and kissed him back.

Neither of them really had any idea what to do next. They sat awkwardly on the step, until Julius reached for Claudia's hand and squeezed it.

"We should get back". He said.

"Really?" Claudia asked. "I feel a lot better… Wouldn't mind another butterbeer." He whispered, with a broad smile…They stood up and began walking back toward the party. Julius let go of Claudia's hand when they entered the common room, which was now nearly empty. The rest of the team had gone to bed and the party was dying down.

They sat down on the sofa and Julius grabbed another butterbeer. He sipped it in silence. Claudia could not help but smile. It was all very weird.

Emmanuel soon joined them.

"You missed an almighty argument… Regulus and Anthony were at it again." Emmanuel said. He looked at them, his eyes narrowing. "Where have you two been, anyway?" He added.

Claudia realised that they were sitting very close to each other. She turned to Julius, who was now bright red in the face. Neither of them said anything but Emmanuel's face had lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Don't know what you're talking about." Claudia replied, taking a sip of her gilywater. Julius was chuckling.

"Finally. I won't have to listen to the constant moping." Emmanuel laughed.

"I wasn't moping!" Protested Julius.

"Right… I'm going to bed." Said Emmanuel. "You two have fun." He smirked.

They watched him leave. When he did, Julius put his arm around Claudia and leaned back into the sofa. Claudia studied his face.

"About that date…" She said, finally. "I didn't want to say anything before." She added.

"You don't want to go anymore, do you?" Julius sighed. He sat up and began to move his arm away. Claudia stopped him.

"I do… But not to that teashop. It's horrifying. Can't we just go to the Three Broomsticks?" She asked.

"Are you sure?" Julius replied, looking tad disappointed.

"Please." Claudia said and yawned. It had been a long day.

"Fine. Let's go to bed." Replied Julius.

They stole another brief kiss at the bottom of the staircase, said good night and went to their separate dormitories. But Claudia could not sleep.

She was lying on her bed, long into the night. She was trying to process what just happened. Never in a million years did she thought that she would ever kiss Julius. They were friends since they were eleven. It was weird.

She sighed. The kiss was nothing like her kiss with Sirius. That was like being struck by lightening. In a good way. Claudia could still feel it now when she closed her eyes and thought about it. But they were drunk and sitting on the top of London covered in snow. It was beautiful. And definitely more romantic that sitting by the broom cupboard after a particularly miserable Quidditch game.

There was nothing more to it, Claudia was sure.

It was going to get easier.

It must.


	19. Chapter 19 (The Crup)

**The Crup**

The following morning, Claudia was still pretty confused about what happened. She needed to talk to Alice to make some sense of it all. She caught her on the way to the library.

When she finished recounting the events of the previous night to her, Alice looked at Claudia sceptically.

"You kissed Julius?" She asked, as if to check that what she was hearing was really true.

"Well, he kissed me. He was really upset after the Quidditch game. One thing led to another…" Claudia replied, blushing a bit.

"Don't you think it's a bit… Soon?" Asked Alice.

"It was your idea!" Claudia said defensively.

"I said, 'go on a date'. I did not say, 'make out with him at the first opportunity'." Alice said sharply.

Claudia could swear that Alice wanted to add an 'again' at the end of that sentence but thought better of it. Claudia sped up. She did not like that their conversation was turning into an interrogation and knew Alice would have to stop when they got to the library.

But they were still a long way away and Alice was not letting this go.

"Do you even like him?" She asked. Claudia shrugged.

"I guess... He's nice. And the kiss was alright." She replied.

"Alright? That's a glittering review…" Alice said, rolling her eyes.

"It wasn't bad. It's just…" She said, suddenly sounding very solemn.

"Just what?" Asked Alice.

"Doesn't matter." Claudia shook her head. She could not bring herself to tell Alice the truth. That it was nothing like her kiss with Sirius. It was much better to stay quiet. Alice was not going to understand. There was a long pause.

"If you're sure…" Alice sighed. Claudia gave her a weak smile.

"You said it yourself. Got to start somewhere…" Claudia replied. Suddenly, she grinned. "Now… Could you please tell me what I am supposed to do on a date?" She asked.

"Don't tell me you are panicking." Alice replied.

"Of course, I'm panicking! I've never been on one. I don't even understand what they are for…" Claudia said, sounding ever so slightly nervous.

"Just be yourself." She replied, before pausing and clearly weighing her words carefully. "Maybe tone down the sarcasm a little. And little less irony wouldn't hurt either." She added. That made Claudia giggle.

"You know full well that once you strip the sarcasm and the irony, I have nothing left…" Claudia replied.

"You know that's not true." Alice said kindly.

"You're right." Claudia sighed. "There is still the total mess underneath…" She added. Alice rolled her eyes.

"I feel sorry for that boy already." Alice muttered. She was not wrong there, Claudia thought. They walked into the library chuckling.

Claudia did not have much time to panic over the date ahead of the Hogsmeade weekend. The study schedule was truly punishing. She barely got to see Julius, let alone got to spend any real time with him. It was a good thing too.

Claudia still did not quite understand why it was necessary for them to go on that date. They kissed already, which seemed to be pretty much the point of these things. She was bound to say something about the date that would hurt Julius' feelings. He was already upset that they were not going to that teashop. Claudia felt a bit bad for him, but not bad enough to change their mind. It was truly dreadful.

The weekend finally arrived. They met in the Three Broomsticks and sat down at a small table at the back of the pub. The conversation was flowing surprisingly easily. There was Quidditch to talk about, as well as the upcoming exams. After all, they had been friends for years. Claudia was very surprised that she was actually enjoying it. Julius leaned in and gave her a brief kiss. He looked around the pub and scratched his head.

"So… Are you my girlfriend now?" He whispered.

"I suppose." Claudia replied with a smile. She looked at her watch. "But also your team-mate. And we have Quidditch practice to get to." She added.

They walked back together and made their way straight to the pitch. As they walked into the Slytherin team's changing rooms, Parkinson was scowling at them.

"I don't like this." He muttered at them. Claudia leaned towards Julius.

"How does he even know? This quickly?" She whispered. Julius shrugged and shook his head. He did not know either.

"Don't like what?" Asked Regulus as he walked through the door.

"Them two… Dating." Parkinson said and gestured towards Claudia and Julius. "Better not break up before the Hufflepuff game. That's all I've got to say." He added and walked off. He really did not look very pleased.

Regulus narrowed his eyes and looked at them for a long time.

"Well, I knew you were in love with her…" He said in Julius' direction. Claudia rolled her eyes. Did everyone know but her?! Regulus turned to Claudia next.

"But I never saw you with a proper, pure-blood guy like him... It's not your _usual_ choice of company." He smirked and went to change.

To Claudia, he definitely looked like he knew something. But he could not have. Him and Sirius were not close. There is no way Sirius would have told him about their kiss.

"What's he talking about?" Asked Julius, the smallest of frowns appearing on his face.

"I think he's talking about my friends… Muggleborns." Claudia shrugged. She was not sure whether Julius bought it or not.

"Ah, that." He muttered and followed Regulus to the boys' side of the changing rooms.

Claudia went in the other direction. Telling people have been awkward for her. But everybody knew about her and Julius now, her friends, Quidditch team-mates. Marcus was bound to know by now and he would tell their parents. Claudia was glad, she as hell was not going to tell them herself.

Claudia remembered something and dropped to the bench with a sigh. Sirius probably did not know.

Claudia sat and sat in the changing rooms, completely motionless. She could not for the life of her figure out how she felt about it. She wanted Sirius to know. She desperately wanted him to care. To be jealous. But what if he was not? The thought scared her. Maybe it would be better if he never found out. That way, she could at least pretend he cared. Claudia groaned. She felt so stupid. How could she still care what Sirius thought? She just needed to get over it. It was so not worth it.

The Quidditch practice gave Claudia the opportunity to clear her head. As the team walked into the Great Hall afterwards, Claudia grabbed hold of Julius' hand. It felt good. She was more determined than ever to forget the whole Sirius affair. To move on.

The next few days were just nice and easy. Claudia found some time to hang out with Julius in between all the studying. It was beginning to feel almost natural having him around. Maybe there was nothing to be scared off. Dating was not anywhere near as hard as she expected it to be.

Few days passed and Claudia found herself in the library again. She spent more time in there these days than anywhere else in the castle. But she did not mind. She did not really need studying to distract her from her feelings anymore, but it was still enjoyable. Most of the time anyway.

Today was an unusually hot day. Claudia was sitting by an open window, desperately trying to catch some breeze. You could practically smell the rain in the air and in the distance, thunder was roaring. Claudia wished that the thunderstorm would arrive already and cool the whole place down. She needed to concentrate, and it was way too hot for that.

Julius dropped to the chair next to her and took out his books. It took Claudia a while to understand why he did that.

Then she remembered. That is what couples do, studying together.

Soon though, it became mildly irritating. Julius was fidgeting in his chair and sighing.

"What's up?" Claudia asked finally, trying not to sound too annoyed.

"It's just this runes translation…" He said. Claudia laughed.

"It's funny, isn't it?" She asked, remembering the homework they were set for ancient runes. Julius did not look like he understood what she was talking about. He was definitely not laughing with her. Claudia continued. "It's a riddle…" Julius was still staring blankly. "Only read every other symbol. And then when you're done, do the other ones." Claudia finished.

"Is the Professor joking? Setting us crap like that in OWLs year? I've spent hours on this." Julius said, angrily. Claudia shrugged.

"It wasn't _that_ hard." She said. This seemed to have done nothing to improve Julius' foul mood. Claudia returned to her book. She did not know what else to do.

Mercifully, Emmanuel joined them soon after. He too, sat down with a sigh.

"I can't get my head around the potions essay… Jules, have you done it yet?" He said.

"Don't ask me. Ask Claudia. She knows everything." Julius replied grumpily and returned to his runes.

"Should I pretend I don't know things?" Claudia asked, chuckling. Julius did not find it funny. Clearly, Claudia had touched a nerve. He did not say anything and buried his face back in the essay.

You could at least pretend you don't think we are _complete_ idiots…" Emmanuel muttered, grimacing. Claudia chuckled again.

"I don't think you're complete…" She began to say, but they both shot her an annoyed look. "Never mind." She added.

"I now remember why we stopped studying with you." Quipped Emmanuel. Claudia smirked, but her eyes were planted on Julius. He did not move an inch. She was so wrong before. This dating business is going to be a lot harder than she thought.

Few days later, she had a chance to prove to Julius that she did not think he was an idiot. They were sitting together in the corner of the common room. Claudia was reading her DADA textbook and Julius was wrestling with his History of Magic essay. He was desperately trying to find something in the textbook.

"Do you want help looking?" Asked Claudia quietly. Julius looked at her. It was clearly painful for his ego, but he nodded.

"I just need to find the precise date when the werewolves sacked that wizarding village in Devon… During the Goblin Rebellion. But I forgot which chapter it was in." He muttered and passed Claudia the textbook. She winced. She knew exactly when that village was sacked but felt that telling Julius from memory would not exactly help.

"I'll find it. You write the rest of it." She said and opened the book.

Claudia was going to pretend to read the book for a while and then tell Julius the answer. But her plan was scuppered. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Marcus and Severus leaving the common room. It was nearly curfew and they looked like they did not want to be seen. This must have been it! She needed to follow them.

"Eighteen of March, seventeen-fifty-two." Claudia said hastily, threw the book into Julius' lap, and jumped up to follow her brother.

"Where are you going?" Julius asked. Claudia barely turned back to speak to him.

"I just need to check something. Library…" She whispered absentmindedly and disappeared out of the common room, hot on Marcus' heels.

She trailed Marcus and Severus across the Hogwarts grounds and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Claudia watched disappear into the trees. It was getting dark. She hated being there. Every second of it. She was scared and regretted not asking Alice to come with her. But her curiosity and desire to beat Marcus to whatever he was trying to do was stronger. So, she followed them, hiding in the shadows of the trees.

The deeper they went, the darker it was. After ten minutes or so, Claudia could no longer see where she was going. She stepped on something and her a loud crack.

Her heart started to race.

Marcus and Severus stopped in their tracks and turned around. Severus disappeared somewhere. Claudia had no idea where he went. Must have gone to investigate the source of the noise.

She squeezed her wand tight and started to slowly back away. She needed to get out of there and fast!

She could not have taken more than few steps before she could feel someone put a hand over her mouth and throw something over her head.

That was it. She was dead.

She tried to free herself but to no avail.

"Stop moving, you idiot. It's me." She heard her captive whisper. She recognised the voice instantly. It was Sirius and they were under his invisibility cloak. Claudia stopped struggling. Sirius let her go just enough so that she could turn to look at him.

"What are you doing here?" Claudia hissed at him. Sirius put his finger across his lips. Claudia was not deterred. "Are you following me?" She added. Sirius looked nervously around.

"Just shut up for a minute. They aren't deaf." He hissed back at her.

Claudia folded her arms and glared at Sirius. They waited. Severus re-appeared from the shadows and him and Marcus began moving again.

Claudia and Sirius followed them under the cloak. There was barely an inch between them. It was, yet again, completely unbearable. Claudia was so angry at herself. How could she still feel like this around him? After what he had done to her? Remember he broke your heart, she thought to herself. And your boyfriend. Remember your boyfriend. A nice, sensible boyfriend.

Walking under the cloak in the dark would have been hard, even without Sirius' annoying presence. Claudia tripped over some roots, but Sirius caught her again. He chuckled at her clumsiness. "Stop rescuing me." Claudia said angrily, trying to free herself. "Please. Just shut up!" Sirius implored her again.

Barely a minute later, Marcus and Severus suddenly stopped next to a pile of large stones. Sirius and Claudia sat down behind a wall of thick bushes and watched them, still under the cloak. Claudia moved as far away as possible from Sirius. But it was not far enough.

She could still hear his breathing. She could smell his cologne. His hand was barely three inches from hers. Claudia frowned and made herself focus on her brother. She could not let herself be distracted. She was about to find out what he was up to.

Severus took out his wand and pointed it at the pile. The stones rose into the air, moved a yard or so away and then dropped back to the ground. To her huge disappointment, all Claudia could see was a hole in the forest floor. She stretched her neck as high as she could, but it was pointless. She could not see anything.

Marcus took out a piece of parchment, pointed his wand at the hole and cast a spell. Claudia could not hear what he said. Nothing happened.

But Marcus was not giving up. He did it again and again. Still nothing.

Severus tried to take the parchment from him, but Marcus would not allow it. He looked desperate to do it himself.

So, he tried again. This time, Claudia could hear a growl. There was some scratching and barking for a minute or so and then it stopped. Marcus gestured at Severus, who moved the stones back over the hole and they began walking back to the castle. Marcus looked extremely pleased with himself.

Claudia waited for few minutes until Marcus and Severus were gone. She threw the invisibility cloak off her.

"You can go back now. I'll be fine." She said. She did not really mean it. She was terrified. Of the dark. Of the forest. Of what was in that hole. But she was too proud to admit it. Especially to Sirius. Mercifully, he just laughed.

"In your dreams..." Sirius said and began walking towards the stone pile. Claudia let Sirius move the stones away. She did not want to see what was in there.

And she was right to be scared. There was a dead crup lying at the bottom of the hole. It was hairless and its ribs were sticking out from under the skin that was practically translucent. There were scars all across its body, like someone had been conducting experiments on it.

This must have been it, Claudia thought. Marcus' test subject. And it looked like he succeeded it in reanimating it. He had mastered the inferi spell…

Claudia could not bear to look at the dead crup anymore. She turned away and leant against a tree. Suddenly, she felt sick. She was vaguely aware that Sirius replaced the stones and walked up to her.

"Let's get back." He whispered, placing his hand on Claudia's shoulder. She did not mind his presence anymore. She was in shock and needed that.

Claudia summoned enough energy to take a few steps and they began walking back through the forest towards the castle.

"He's practicing the inferi spell, isn't he?" Sirius asked. Claudia nodded.

"Are you ok?" Sirius added. Claudia nodded again. That was a big lie. What she just saw shook her to the core. Her brother was a murderer. And he was unlikely to stop at crups.

"You don't have to pretend that you're ok, you know. Not with me." Sirius whispered.

"I'm ok." Claudia replied, trying her best to sound convincing. She did not want to break down in front of him again.

"The door will be shut by now." Claudia said in an attempt to change the conversation.

"Don't worry. I know a way." Sirius smirked. He took out a massive piece of parchment and studied it. Sirius was holding it up high and she was not quite tall enough to see. It looked like a map. Claudia wanted to know what it was but did not want to ask. She was regaining her composure and was yet again fully aware of why she was not speaking to Sirius.

Just as they got to the edge of the forest, he put the parchment back in his pocket and took out the cloak again.

"Time to hide." He whispered. They did not go to the main entrance. Sirius steered them both towards the foot of the North Tower, pointed his wand to the ground and a trapdoor appeared. Things like this did not surprise Claudia anymore. Not around Sirius.

They walked through the secret passage in silence. The closer they got to the safety of the castle, the angrier Claudia became with Sirius again. He had no business rescuing her. Not after what he did at Christmas.

They must have been nearly inside the castle when Claudia heard Sirius' voice from behind her.

"I really thought you'd forgive me, you know. And we'd be friends again." He said. Claudia stopped and turned towards him. She looked at him defiantly.

"Really? How could I?" She asked. It was really a rhetorical question. Claudia did not stop and her voice was rising. "After months of flirting… You kiss me. You ditch me the next day. And then immediately sleep with Daisy. And I'm just supposed to be ok with that?!" She finished. Her eyes were flaming with fury.

"You know about that?" Sirius whispered. He looked taken aback.

"Yeah. She told _everyone_ on the train back." Claudia said, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't know what to say." Sirius whispered, lowering his eyes.

"That's a first." Claudia said, icily. She turned on her heel and began walking up the passage again. She turned a corner and could finally see a door. That must be the entrance to the castle. Finally!

"It didn't exactly take you long to get over me! Did it?!" Sirius barked after her. She did not turn back.

"Go to hell." She said just loud enough for him to hear. She flung the door of the passage open and stormed off.

She had no idea where she was. It took her good ten minutes to find a corridor she recognised. She slipped back to the Slytherin common room and saw Julius sitting on the sofa. He was holding a book in his arms but was fast asleep. He must have been waiting for her to get back.

Claudia smiled. He was far nicer than she deserved. She sat down on the sofa next to him, lowered her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She could not face going back to bed and being alone. It was impossible to get the picture of the dead crup out of her head. She could not stop thinking about what her brother was truly capable of. It was horrifying. Julius stirred and wrapped his arm around her.

"When did you get back?" He asked sleepily.

"Late." Claudia replied.

"And did you find what you were looking for?" Julius continued, with a yawn. Claudia nodded and shuffled closer to him.

"We should go to bed." Said Julius and began to get up.

"I don't want to." Claudia sighed. Julius, who was now standing, held out his hand and pulled her up.

"Come on. You don't want to sleep here." He muttered.

Claudia did not have it in her to protest any further. She was just too exhausted. She let Julius walked her to the dormitory and kiss her. She smiled at him. He was nice. This whole thing was good for her. And Claudia was sure that the spark would come one day.


	20. Chapter 20 (Quidditch Finals)

**Quidditch Finals**

Few days after Claudia's excursion into the Forbidden Forest, she was sitting in the Hogwarts grounds with Julius and Eleanor. She paid no attention to what the two of them were chatting about. She was trying to figure out what to do next. Who, if anyone, to tell.

Talking to Sirius just was not an option. That would just make things even more complicated. Why could he not just disappear from the face of the Earth.

Claudia looked and Julius and studied his face. She did not him anything yet and had no idea how he would react if she told him what she saw her brother do.

Claudia sighed. Obviously, the best option would be to tell Alice. After all, they have been investigating Marcus together. But she could not.

There would have been nothing Claudia could have to convince Alice not to run straight to her dad and tell him everything. But it was too early. It was just Marcus' word against hers. Well, and Sirius'. But that was not likely to be helpful. He was not exactly a reliable witness.

And even if Alice's dad believed her, what could he actually do? If he started a real investigation, Claudia's father would find out about in minutes and put a stop to it. Claudia was sure about that.

She would just have to avoid Alice for the few weeks until the end of term. Her best friend was getting a lot better at seeing through Claudia's schemes. There was no way she would be able to keep this from her.

She had to wait for Marcus to make a mistake. Or force him to make one. He might get caught… And shipped off to Azkaban. Claudia paused and smirked. They might all end up in Azkaban and she would be free.

Claudia train of thought was interrupted when Eleanor and Julius stopped talking. They were both looking at her.

"Hm?" Claudia muttered.

"Welcome back to Earth." Giggled Eleanor. "I was just wondering if you have any plans for your Birthday." She added.

"Wake up. Study. Eat. Study. Quidditch practice. Study. Aaand study…. Like every single bloody day." Claudia replied, with a sigh. She quite liked studying, but the OWLs revision was becoming overwhelming, even for her. Claudia looked towards Julius, who was smiling coyly and avoiding her gaze. She frowned. "Please tell me you haven't been planning anything." She said in his direction.

"It's your Birthday!" Julius shrugged but kept smiling coyly. Claudia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Please don't make it a big deal. I'm only turning sixteen!" She pleaded with her boyfriend. Eleanor giggled. Claudia had no idea why.

"Sixteen is a bigger deal in the muggle world than it's here." She said.

"Why?" Asked Julius, clearly desperate for any sort of ammunition. "You can buy cigarettes, have sex." Eleanor said causally.

Julius, who had just taken a sip of his pumpkin juice began choking.

Claudia short Eleanor a warning look. Why would she even mention something like that?

Thankfully, Julius was also more than happy to pretend as if Eleanor did not just throw a grenade between them.

"Of course, your Birthday is a big deal. We've been together for three months. We have to do something a bit special." He said, like nothing happened. Claudia was becoming quite annoyed with him.

"So, I need to do something I don't want to, just because it's expected of me?!" She barked. Julius rolled his eyes.

"What do you want to do, then?" He asked, as patiently as he could.

"I don't know. Just hang out." Replied Claudia.

"We hang out every day." Julius said. He was not convinced.

"Hang out with cake?" She asked tentatively. That did not help.

"I have to go." Said Julius, stood up and began to walk away. He was clearly not happy about this.

Claudia was scowling after him. She looked at Eleanor, ready to complain. But Eleanor laughed.

"Don't you look at me. I agree with him… I told you I pity anyone who asks you out." She said. But Julius was not the only thing that Claudia wanted to complain about.

"Why did you have to mention sex? Are you insane?" Claudia asked, her eyes wide. Eleanor did not look phased in the slightest.

"Have you not talked about it?" She asked.

"No!" Claudia squealed and shook her head.

"Are you going to?" Eleanor added, smiling a little.

"What? Do it? Or talk about it?" Asked Claudia, perplexed. Eleanor raised an eyebrow. She definitely meant the former. Claudia had no idea what to say. She could not even look Eleanor in the eye. Instead, she looked at her watch.

"Quidditch practice. Need to run." She whispered, stood up and run off.

Claudia could not stop thinking about what Eleanor said the whole way to the pitch. She once had a conversation with her mother about sex. It was one of the worse things that she had to endure. Cassandra never actually mentioned the word 'sex'. She spoke about it like it was this huge secret. An unspoken price to be dangled in front of _the_ chosen boyfriend. Dangled, but never actually given. Not until after the wedding.

The whole thing was completely medieval. What was the point in playing games like that? Claudia was never going to get married anyway. It was just not for her, being someone's wife. Someone's mother. Just the thought of that made her shudder. It was stupid. Almost as stupid as this birthday business.

Claudia never really enjoyed her birthday. Her mother would not allow her more than two slices of cake. "Must watch your figure." Claudia rolled her eyes just as the thought of that. She always had to pretend that she liked the presents her family bought for her. Or rather, the presents they bought for the daughter they wanted her to be.

And then there were the heartfelt cards from her mother. "_My dearest girl… I miss you so much… I wish you all the happiness in the world…" _Heartfelt cards that were followed by a slap across Claudia's face the moment she said something insolent or misbehaved in front of someone her mother worshiped.

And now, on top of all that, she had to worry about what Julius was planning. The worst thing would be if he tried doing something romantic in front of the whole school. Claudia would probably just die of embarrassment.

So, she waited for her birthday with dread. Finally, it arrived. Julius grabbed Claudia's hand right after the morning classes. He was holding a food basket.

"Let's get out of here." He whispered and led Claudia to a nice spot by the lake for a picnic. They finished their food lunch and _all _the cake. Claudia was lying on the grass, unable to move. She looked at Julius and smiled.

"Is this want you had planned? It was nice…" She said. Surprisingly, she actually meant it.

"Not exactly. But I'm glad you liked it." Julius replied. Claudia thought that he would have been disappointed, having to change his plans last minute. But he did not look it. Claudia sat back up and kissed him. Maybe he was getting to understand her after all. She took a deep breath. She had to tell him if she wanted them to have a chance.

"Julius… I need to ask you something. In Dark Arts… Do you remember the lesson on inferi?" Claudia whispered. She did not know how else to approach it.

"Really, now?" Julius chuckled. "I'd rather do this." He whispered, leaned towards Claudia and gave her a long kiss. There was never going to be a better time. Claudia was determined to tell him, but Julius got there first.

"I've got something else for you." He said and pulled out a box from his pocket. Claudia opened it. It looked like a really expensive golden necklace. She stared at it, then at Julius.

"Do you like it?" Julius asked. Claudia smiled at him.

"Yeah." She whispered. Never did she wear jewellery. But what else was she supposed to say? She already upset him with her insistence on the low-key celebration. If she complained about the present, it would crush him. It was not like she did not have practice at pretending she liked presents. She let Julius put the necklace on her and they made their way back to the castle.

Claudia would only have to wear it for a few days. On Saturday, it was their final Quidditch game. They were going to win the cup and all will be forgotten.

And it was not just the usual Slytherin arrogance that made the team believe that. They were flying astonishingly well in practice. No one would be able to touch them. Least of all Hufflepuff, who were the bottom of the championship.

The team breakfast on the morning of the game was the most joyous one yet. Julius was grinning at Claudia. She could hardly remember seeing him this happy before. There were laughs and jokes all around. Rowle was barking butterbeer orders at his friends. Even Parkinson, always so keen to remind them to keep their heads and focus on the game, looked relaxed. They had this in the bag.

Just before they were about to leave for the pitch, Regulus picked up the Hufflepuff team sheet.

"I thought it was her." He smirked. The team looked up at him. No one knew what he was talking about. "The new chaser they had to draw in at the last minute, Holt. My brother's _latest_ girlfriend…" Regulus smirked. Claudia could swear Regulus was looking straight at her when he said it, as if he was waiting for a reaction. But she was not going to give him any grounds to think that it bothered her. Anyway, she should not care who Sirius was dating now. He was not her problem anymore. She had a boyfriend. She turned to Julius.

"Let's go." She said as calmly as she could. Julius put his arm around her and they set off for the pitch. Claudia tried very hard not to focus on what Regulus just told them. She could not wait to hold the cup in her hands. That would make it all better.

Finally, the teams lined up in the middle of the field. Claudia was glaring at the Hufflepuffs. There were two girls on the team and both looked like they were Sirius' type. Tall, blond, pretty… Claudia scoffed. Typical, she thought to herself. What was I even thinking?!

She watched one of the girls look over her shoulder to where the Gryffindor students were sitting. She smiled and waved. That must have been her. Claudia closed her eyes. She desperately did not want to care. But she could not help it. Her chest was swirling with all sorts of emotions. None of them particularly pleasant.

Thankfully, Madame Hooch blew the whistle and the teams kicked off the ground.

It was a fast-paced, end-to-end start to the game. Ten minutes in, Claudia found herself alongside Holt, the quaffle in under her arm. She had a sudden strong urge to knock the Hufflepuff chaser off her broom. Claudia closed her eyes for a fraction of a second and took a deep breath. "Focus! Now is not the time!" She muttered to herself... But the brief distraction was enough. Claudia lost her balance and dropped the quaffle. Holt laughed and dived after it. Claudia followed her down. She was not going to let this girl humiliate her, again...

Claudia pressed herself against the broom and drew level with her opponent. She kicked her away, swooped in and had the quaffle back. She shot back up, smirking. It felt good. But before she could get any nearer the Hufflepuff hoops, she heard Madam Hooch blow the whistle.

"Penalty to Hufflepuff!" She yelled. Claudia shrugged. For that little bump?! Unfair… Hufflepuff scored.

Few minutes later, Holt flew over Claudia and kicked her in the head. Claudia was furious. There is no way that was accidental. Rowle saw what happened and elbowed one of the other Hufflepuff chasers in the stomach. Another penalty. Another ten points to Hufflepuff.

The game only got nastier from there. Claudia did not even know how the other penalties were conceded, there were just too many.

Parkinson was yelling at them from the top of his lungs to calm down, but no-one cared. The discipline of this well-drilled Slytherin team had completely disintegrated.

Claudia and Holt were flying side-by-side again, around the edge of the stadium. What was the point of trying to keep it together? Claudia sped up and bumped into Holt with all the force she could muster. The opposing chaser was knocked off her broom and tumbled down the side of the stands. Madame Hooch blew the whistle again.

"Avery! That's enough! One more foul like this and I'll give you a ban for next year. Penalty to Hufflepuff!" Hooch screamed. But Claudia could not care less. She watched Holt holding onto her leg and being carried off the field on a stretcher. Her leg was clearly broken.

"Serves you right, you cow." She muttered. It was terrifying how good it made her feel. She shivered. She could be just as cruel as the rest of her family.

Claudia glanced at the scoreboard. It was even worse than she thought. Slytherin had barely any points. Even if Regulus caught the snitch now, they would probably lose the cup. They needed more points and fast. Regulus knew this. He was flying around at full speed, trying to distract the Hufflepuff seeker and block his path whenever the snitch made an appearance. This cost Slytherin yet more penalties.

But even that was not enough. The Hufflepuff seeker got lucky. Regulus got hit by a bludger, just as the snitch appeared in the middle of the pitch. The Hufflepuff dived for it and the game was over.

Claudia looked at the scoreboard again, desperately trying to do the math in her head. It was not good. Ravenclaw needed mere sixty points in their last game to claim the championship.

There was no way back from this. Slytherin lost.

The mood in the dressing room was arctic. Everybody knew the championship was over.

Parkinson, who was now in his seventh year and thus just lost his final chance to win the cup as captain walked out of the changing rooms without a word.

Anthony and Regulus were sniping at each other over the loose bludger.

"We can forget it now." Said Rowle and kicked a spare quaffle across the room. "Gryffindor would rather eat their own limbs then let us win the cup." He added angrily. Claudia, who was already furious, rolled her eyes.

"Really? Are we going to focus on Gryffindor? The game was ours to win today. Hufflepuff were utter garbage." She took barely enough time to breathe. "All we need to do is clean up our game and we are unbeatable. We have no one else to blame but ourselves!" She continued, yelling.

Regulus stopped scowling at Anthony and turned to Claudia.

"Don't go all sanctimonious on us. You're the one who fucking started it?!" He shouted at her. Claudia knew that. But she did not need Regulus pointing that out. She just thought of a perfect insult to throw back at him but before she could say anything, Julius jumped in.

"Leave her be. That was an accident." He said through gritted teeth. Regulus snorted.

"Right, _an accident_." He said. Claudia had had enough. She run out of the dressing room, slamming the door behind her.

It was getting dark and began to rain. Claudia did not know what to do or where to go. So she wondered around the grounds. Her mind was completely blank with rage. She did not want to see anyone. She waited until the whole school was at dinner and then slipped back into the castle, running straight into the showers. She took off her Quidditch robes. They were covered in mud and making her cold. She run the water and slumped on the floor.

She hugged her legs and dropped her head onto her knees. There was no way she could hold the tears in any longer.

She began to sob uncontrollably.

How could she let Sirius get to her this much? She wanted that Quidditch cup more than anything else. And now, it was gone.

Claudia had no idea how long she stayed in that shower. When she managed to get out of there, it was nearly midnight. She snuck into her dormitory and went straight to bed.

If Claudia could stay hidden behind the curtains of her bed for the rest of her life, she would. But she knew she would have to emerge eventually and it was probably better just to get it over with. She stepped into the common room and immediately saw Julius. He was waiting for her.

"Hi." Said Claudia. She could not bring herself to raise a smile.

"You disappeared last night." Julius whispered. Claudia sighed and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Sorry, I was upset." She replied.

"I was upset too. We could have been upset together." Julius said and sat down next to her.

"Right…" Claudia gave him the briefest of smiles, but could not bring herself to say anything else.

"The thing Regulus said yesterday..." Julius began to say. Claudia's heart jumped. Did he manage to figure out just why she lost her head yesterday?

"You don't blame yourself, do you? For losing the game?... Because it was not your fault. It _was_ an accident…" Julius continued. Phew. Claudia put her head on Julius' shoulder. He hugged her.

Claudia was grateful that Julius did not suspect anything. Maybe dating someone less smart had its advantages, she thought to herself. But that thought made her feel immediately guilty. Julius might not have been as smart, but he was nice. In fact, lot nicer than Claudia could ever hope to be.

"Breakfast?" She asked, with a more genuine smile.

"Sure." Julius replied and kissed her head.

They ate their breakfast in the corner of the Great Hall, mostly in silence. And they were not alone in that. The rest of the team were scattered around the Hall, drowning their sorrows in pumpkin juice.

Parkinson in particular looked like he cried all night. Claudia could not look him in the eye. The guilt was overwhelming.

"Let's get out of here. I need to go to the library…" Claudia whispered. They were nearly out of the Great Hall when they found themselves face-to-face with Sirius and his girlfriend. She was still on crutches. The break must have been really bad if Madame Pomfrey could not fix it overnight. Oh well, Claudia thought. Nothing I can do now.

Claudia noticed that Sirius tried to steer his girlfriend away, but she would not let him. She hobbled right toward Claudia.

"Do you have anything to say to me?" Holt asked, icily. Claudia shook her head. There was no way she was apologising. "I really think you should apologise to me." The Hufflepuff continued.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Claudia replied.

"Let's go, Leanne." Muttered Sirius and began walking away.

"No!" She barked and yanked him back to her side. "I would appreciate some support though. Tell her to apologise!" She implored Sirius. Claudia scoffed. She folded her arms and stared right at him.

"Yeah. Tell _me _to apologise." She said, coldly. Sirius, who has been avoiding her eye until now, finally looked at her. Their eyes were locked for a very long time. You could cut the tension with a knife.

Sirius turned to Leanne and opened his mouth, but no actual words came out. Instead, he just groaned and walked away in the direction of the Gryffindor table. He took extra care to knock Julius off balance as he did.

"Watch it, Black!" Julius shouted after him. But Sirius did not turn back. Just raised his hand and made a rude gesture.

"Have a good day." Claudia said to Leanne through gritted teeth and began walking out of the Great Hall. She could feel that Julius took a step or two to follow her out. Claudia turned to him.

"I'll see you in the common room." She said and run out. She just wanted to be alone.

Claudia did not go to the library. She would have been too easily discoverable there. Instead, she found a quiet corner of the castle and took out her books there. She was thankful every day about the upcoming OWLs. It was a great excuse to forget everything and disappear into her books. But she could not escape for long. She had potions in the afternoon and nothing in the worlds would make her miss that.

Claudia snuck into the classroom just as Slughorn started talking and sat down next to Julius. Every opportunity there was, he looked like he wanted to talk to her. There was nothing that Claudia wanted to do less than that right now. She left the table every time it looked like Julius might say something. She was out vials... She needed to wipe her cauldron... She needed to pick up mandrake leaves from the cupboard...

At least the last one was not a lie. Claudia looked up the shelf and sighed. What idiot put the mandrake leaves right at the top. She tried to stretch but could not reach. Someone walked up right next to her and picked up the jar. It was Sirius. He was frowning a little.

"Was that really necessary? On the pitch? And in the Great Hall?" He asked.

"I'm not a nice person. Sorry if that's a surprise to you." Claudia replied and snatched the jar from him. She wanted to walk away but could not.

"Just stop." She said.

"Stop what?" Sirius barked.

"Stop following me… Stop helping me… Stop breathing… I don't care." She barked at him. Sirius looked very annoyed now.

"Fine. Next time, I'll just let them kill you. Is that what you want?" He asked.

"Works for me." Replied Claudia. "At least I won't have to deal with you again." She added.

She stomped back to her table. Julius was watching her, she was sure of that. But the moment she looked at him, he looked away and buried his face in his textbook.

Claudia had never seen him read with such intensity. She was not very good at talking to people, but she was good at reading them.

Julius had figured it all out. There was no other explanation.


	21. Chapter 21 (Marcus' Victory)

**Marcus' Victory**

Claudia did not know why she went to see the game between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Rowle was right, Gryffindor would rather eat their own limbs than let Slytherin win the cup. It was painful to watch. The buggers were not even trying. There were times when they just passed the quaffle straight to the opposition.

Claudia would do anything to wipe the smug smile off James Potter's face. But there was nothing she could have done. And so the points racked up.

Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty… Three quarters of the stadium erupted in a huge cheer.

The cup was Ravenclaw's.

Claudia kicked the seat in front of her. She knew it was nearly impossible for Slytherin to win the cup this year but went to watch the game with the tiniest flicker of hope. Now, it was all gone.

"Bad luck." Said Joseph. He was the Ravenclaw boy that Alice was dating. She finally summoned enough courage to introduce him to Claudia. She could have hardly picked a worse time to do that. Claudia was in a foul mood and had no intention of even trying to make a good impression on him.

"Thanks." She replied sarcastically. Alice frowned at her. Claudia did promise her that she would be nice.

"Normally, I'd be ok with you dating a Ravenclaw... But don't make me be nice to him today." Claudia said to Alice, who was still frowning. But Joseph laughed.

"You lot need to let someone else win it for a change… It was getting boring for the rest of us." He quipped. It almost made Claudia smile.

"Should we hang out? Drown our sorrows?" Asked Julius. He had clearly come to terms with the loss more easily than his girlfriend. He also looked very keen to spend some time with another couple. Perhaps he was hoping that it might convince his own girlfriend to do more 'couply' things.

Claudia was not keen on that, in the slightest. She shook her head.

"I need to go and study." She replied.

"Again? Can't you take a break?" Julius asked, somewhat annoyed. But Claudia was resolute.

"No. I need to look at Herbology. It will be a miracle if I get an EE." She replied.

"Why do you need an EE?" Julius was not letting this go.

"Because I want to take the NEWT. Obviously…" Claudia barked.

"Why? I thought you hated Herbology?" Julius continued.

"I do. But I need to take it." Claudia said.

"Why?" Asked Julius one last time.

"Enough with the questions! I just do..." Claudia snapped finally.

"You want to apply to be an auror, don't you?" Alice pitched in.

"How did you guess?" Claudia replied, still spikey. Alice chuckled.

"There really isn't much else that would make you work hard in Herbology, is there? And I always thought you'd do something that aligns with _your interests_..." She smirked. Claudia was not in the mood for jokes. It certainly was not funny dropping hints like this in front of Julius. But she did not get a chance to respond.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Julius asked.

"I didn't tell anyone." Claudia shrugged.

"But why?" Julius protested.

"Because it's no-one's business. I'm going now…" Claudia said, turned on her heel and left. She really could not cope with the interrogation. As she descended from the stadium, she heard Alice shouting after her.

"Claudia! Wait!" Alice caught up with her, panting slightly.

"Are you ok?" She whispered.

"I'm fine. Just a lot on." Claudia sighed. But Alice still looked concerned.

"You and Julius are definitely ok?" She followed-up. Claudia looked around.

"I don't know… I think he might have found out about You-Know-Who." She whispered.

"About the artefact?" Alice asked.

"The _other_ You-Know-Who." Claudia sighed.

"Ah. Because you tried to kill his girlfriend in front of the whole school?" Alice smirked.

"I didn't try to kill her... Anyway, that wasn't it. We've had an argument the other day, Julius saw us and must have guessed." Claudia replied.

"Argument? What about?" Alice wanted to know.

Claudia went quiet. She suddenly remembered why she had been avoiding Alice all these weeks. She could not face telling her about the crup, about Sirius saving her in the Forbidden Forest, about any of it. She just wanted to be left in peace and not have her choices questioned all the time.

"Nothing." She whispered. Alice's eyes narrowed.

"What are you not telling me?" She asked.

"Nothing. I really have to go." Claudia shook her head again and started running down the stairs.

"Claudia!" Alice shouted after her, but Claudia did not stop.

"I don't know why I bother!" Alice voice carried across the stadium. She sounded angry.

"I don't know either. Just leave me be." Claudia muttered to herself but did not turn back.

Claudia continued to be miserable over the next few days. She just hid in the library, drowning her emotions in homework and revision. At least she did not feel like she was falling behind with her OWLs. If anything, she was in real danger of being overprepared.

Julius had taken a similar approach to dealing with their problems. He pretended as if nothing had happened. He ignored their argument and never brought up Sirius. But Claudia knew full well that what he saw between them had been bothering him. She noticed him scowling at Sirius across the Great Hall. It was driving Claudia mad. Why did not he just say something?!

Sirius appeared to be in a weird mood too. He seemed even louder and more disruptive in class than usual. And his pranks were turning nastier.

Every time Claudia made eye contact with him, he did something stupid. Setting of fireworks inside the castle. Blowing up Snape's caldron in potions and covering half of the Slytherins in their year with Hair-Raising Potion. Jinxing everyone he did not like the look of. It was as if he was trying to make Claudia give him detention. She did her best to ignore him. He was Lupin's problem now.

But other prefects were not quite so lenient. Sirius spent more time in detention these days that he did in class. How he managed to do any revision for his OWLs was anyone's guess.

Claudia had had enough. Enough of Sirius. Enough of Alice. Enough of Julius. She was trying to hide from them all in the library again. But it was not working. Julius just sat down next to her.

"Come outside?" He asked.

"I really have to…" Claudia began to protest.

"I know, _study_. You can study outside." Julius added. Claudia opened her mouth again, but Julius cut her off. "I won't disturb you. I just want to spend some time with you. I don't mind if you study. But I can't be here anymore." He looked around the library in disgust.

"Fine." Claudia said and begin to pack up her things. It did not feel like she had much of a choice if she wanted to keep dating him. Whether she wanted that or not, she did not know. But she just did not have the time or energy to think about it right now.

Outside was a rubbish place to study, but Julius was largely keeping his promise and did not bother her. He was doing an essay and occasionally whispering with Emmanuel, who was sitting with them. But the relative peace did not last long. Just before lunch, Regulus walked up to their little group.

"Emmanuel, you coming?" He asked.

"Coming where?" Asked Julius. He sounded bit puzzled. Emmanuel was his best friends and as far as Claudia could tell, they did not have any secrets. Claudia looked up from her book. Maybe Julius can be mad at someone else for a change. Emmanuel glanced nervously at Claudia. He looked like he was hiding something.

"Nowhere." He whispered and began to get up. This was getting strange.

"Spill it." Claudia barked. She was half curious and half annoyed that she interrupted her studying for this nonsense.

"Your brother asked us to have lunch with him." Regulus smirked.

"And you're going?" Claudia asked Emmanuel. There was no point engaging Regulus on this.

"It's just lunch." Protested Emmanuel.

"Right… _Just lunch_. Don't be an idiot. He's going to recruit you…" She growled.

"Recruit him to what exactly?" Asked Regulus mockingly. Claudia frowned. She could not tell them what he was going to try and recruit them into. They would think she had gone mad.

"To his stupid little gang. He wants you to continue his good work when he finally leaves here." Claudia said instead.

"Gang? Is that what it is?" Regulus laughed. Claudia did not enjoy being mocked. Especially not by Regulus. His presence had been annoying her for months. He was being a moron on the Quidditch pitch, he kept dropping stupid hints about her and Sirius, and worse of all, he still had his brother's eyes!

"How would you describe it, then? He goes around the school like he owns it, spouting nonsense about being better than everyone because he is a pureblood." Claudia said.

"It's not nonsense." Regulus scoffed. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Of course, it is! It does not make us better than anyone else. Look at Marcus, he is as pureblood as they get and can barely count to ten." She said sarcastically. Regulus twisted his face and sniggered.

"You sound just like my brother. You two would get on…" He said. Here we go again. Claudia did not dare look at Julius.

"Just because your wretched brother happens to agree with me, doesn't mean I'm wrong." She replied.

Regulus' was really enjoying himself now. He turned to Julius.

"What about you? Are you on the same side as my brother?" He asked, mockingly. Julius looked at Regulus. Then at Claudia. Then back at Regulus.

"Drop it." He hissed.

"You didn't answer the question. Do you think my brother is right? Want to be his best mate?" Regulus pressed the point.

"I said drop it." Julius replied. He was really quite annoyed now.

"Should have known you will never disagree with her. Just pathetic." Regulus quipped.

Julius opened his mouth but thought better of it. He opened his book and hid his face behind it. He was seething.

"You really are an asshole. Just leave him…" Said Claudia in Regulus' direction but did not quite finish.

"I don't need you to defend me." Julius said through gritted teeth. Awkward silence ensued. Mercifully, Claudia spotted Marcus walking towards the castle.

"You two better go. Here comes your lunch date." She smirked in Regulus' and Emmanuel's direction.

But before either of them could move, a massive black dog appeared out of nowhere and bitten Marcus in the leg. He squealed like a pig. It was the least dignified thing that Claudia had ever seen. The dog was gone again before Marcus could take his wand out. So instead he scuppered back to the castle as fast as his injured leg allowed him to. His trousers were ripped, and the sound of muffled laughter followed him all the way back. No one quite dared to laugh in his face though. Cowards, Claudia thought.

But she just could not stop laughing. It was the first time she laughed in weeks…. Wherever that dog came from, it deserved an enormous treat.

Just as she thought that though, the dog appeared again and run straight towards her. Claudia jumped up from the grass and took a step back. She was always bit scared of dogs – or anything she could not reason with - and she certainly did not want to end up same way as her brother.

But the dog was wagging its tail and practically skipping. If dogs could smile, Claudia could swear it would be grinning at her. It came right up to her and poked her in the leg with its nose. She laughed some more. Then it did it again. Claudia overcame her fear, buried her hand in the fur on the top of its head and scratched it. The dog let out an excited bark and run off.

"That made me feel so much better." Claudia exhaled and dropped back to the floor. Julius stood up abruptly.

"He's still your brother. You might try to be a little nicer to him. To all of us, actually…" He said grumpily and walked off.

Claudia watched after him. Maybe she should tell him about what Marcus was up to. If he knew, he would not say such stupid things. But then again, she should not have to tell him. Sirius figured it out himself ages ago.

Claudia remembered the very beginning of their fourth year, Sirius coming to her aid when she got on the Quidditch team instead of Marcus and he took it rather badly. She remembered Sirius helping her break into the restricted section. The two of them hiding under his cloak after curfew, chatting and having fun. Claudia groaned. The thought of Sirius made her mad again.

"Enough with the moping already. He doesn't deserve this." She whispered to herself and reached into her bag for the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook. What she was going to do once the exams were over, she did not know.

The OWLs were rather uneventful, Claudia thought. The exception was Professor Flitwick getting knocked over by a pile of parchments at the end of the Dark Arts exam one morning. And with only Transfiguration left, it was unlikely that the OWLs were going to be a blast. Claudia liked Professor McGonagall, but she was not one for jokes.

Later the same day, Claudia was having dinner with Eleanor, the only person that she could actually talk to without getting annoyed these days. The only person who did not try to constantly interrogate her.

Eleanor was telling her about her plans for the summer. She was going to spend four weeks, caravanning in France with her parents. Claudia had no idea what caravanning was, but it did sound interesting.

"I wish I could come with you." Claudia sighed.

"Would your parents let you?" Eleanor asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Maybe." Claudia shrugged. She could not really imagine her father saying no to her. Even if she asked him if she could go on a muggle holiday. Eleanor broke into a huge grin.

"Then do come! My parents won't mind. They keep asking if I want to bring a friend. I just figured you would never be allowed to go." She said, sounding very excited. It almost took Claudia by surprise. Never had anyone expressed this much joy about spending time with her.

"I don't know. I have things to do in London... I'll think about it." She said. She was hoping that she would finally have an opportunity to do some digging over the summer. To find out what Marcus was up to and find a way to force him into a mistake.

But Claudia's train of thought got interrupted by laughter. She turned around to see what was happening and saw Severus walking into the Great Hall. He was staring to the ground and looked like he wished it would swallow him. Eleanor was chuckling too.

"What happened?" Asked Claudia.

"James and Sirius hang him upside down. We've all seen his underpants. It _was not_ pretty." Eleanor replied. Claudia did not say anything. She did not have the strength to neither laugh nor disapprove. She was so tired of all of it. The thought of having to go through two more years like this… It was unthinkable.

Poor Severus did not even get a chance to sit down. He did not get halfway down the Great Hall before Marcus got up and ordered Severus to come with him. He still looked angry and carried a slight limp. Claudia wondered whether Marcus and Severus were plotting revenge on that poor dog. Hopefully, it will not end up the same way as that crup that Marcus has been experimenting on. Dead and disfigured.

Claudia sighed. If she wanted to make any progress in finding out what Marcus was up to before the end of term, it was now or never. She had been ignoring him for long enough. She made an excuse and followed them out of the Great Hall and down the stairs to the dungeon.

Claudia rounded a corner and found herself face to face with Marcus. Severus was standing behind him and they were talking to Regulus and Emmanuel. His plan to recruit those two idiots must have worked, Claudia thought to herself.

"Seen sense? Came to join us?" Asked Regulus, smirking.

"I doubt that very much..." Marcus said, icily.

"You managed to get something right. Must be the first time. Congratulations." Claudia mocked him.

"You have no idea what you're up against." Marcus smirked. This was her chance to goat Marcus into saying something he would regret...

"What am I up against? Bunch of mediocre thugs with overinflated egos?" She asked, trying very hard to sound confident. But inside her robes, she was clutching her wand so tightly, her knuckles must have been white.

Marcus broke into an evil smile. He walked up to Claudia.

"I'll make you regret it all. One day, very soon, I'll _personally_ make you regret it all..." He whispered, slowly.

He gestured towards the other three like they were his servants and walked away. They followed him without another word.

Severus was even more dead-eyed than usual.

Regulus was as smug as ever.

Emmanuel did not dare look Claudia in the eye, but he did follow Marcus too.

"Unbelievable." She muttered to herself. But this was not funny. It was uncomfortable. She remembered all too well what happened last time Marcus threatened her. But this was worse. Marcus did not look scared or clueless anymore. He looked confident. He must have joined the Death Eaters already, Claudia thought to herself. There could be no other reason why he would be this cocky.

She took extra care putting the protective enchantments around her bed that evening. She needed to get some practice in. Otherwise, she would not be able to get a wink of sleep this summer.

As she laid in bed, she hoped that Marcus' confidence was misplaced. Even if he mastered the inferi spell and was allowed to join the Death Eaters, it could not be as powerful as the artefact. Marcus was a mediocre student and when she saw him practicing it in the Forbidden Forest, it looked like Severus was doing most of the work.

There was no way her father would be quite so triumphant. He could not be. She was getting used her freedom and was not ready to go back to how things used to be before she told him that she destroyed the artefact. She needed her father to be scared. She was going to find out soon enough where she stood. Only one more exam to go, she thought. With that, Claudia took out her textbook, opened it and promptly fell asleep on top of it.

Two days later, the OWLs were finally over. Claudia was sitting at breakfast, completely bewildered about what to do next.

She had nothing to study. No Quidditch game to practice for. She did not remember what she used to do before the revision started. How was she going to avoid people now?!

Claudia sighed and unwrapped her copy of the Daily Prophet. It took one glance at the front page of the newspapers to make Claudia forget about all of that.

Someone has been found dead in Hogsmeade. She began to scan the article.

"_The cause of death was unknown… Anonymous source described a horrible sight… White corpse… Paper-thin skin... It had been seen wondering around the village the night before… Ministry remains tight lipped about the whole affair…"_

Claudia did not even have to finish the article. She knew instantly what the cause of death was… Marcus. She felt sick again. Her brother was a murderer. She looked towards the Gryffindor table and saw Alice. They barely said a word to each other since the Quidditch Cup Final and Claudia was beginning to miss her best friend. But she just could not tell her about this. Not anymore. Alice would put both of them in danger by insisting they tell the Ministry. But the story was so far-fetched, no-one would believe them. It made no sense for a Hogwarts student to go around and turn people into inferi. Claudia's father would find out. He would have nothing to lose anymore and she would be shipped off to Durmstrang, if she was lucky. No, she could not tell Alice. She needed to protect them both.

"What are you looking at?" Julius asked when he saw her face. She threw him the papers.

"Someone got killed in Hogsmeade." Claudia whispered, gauging his reaction. Maybe, this might be another good opportunity to tell him. Julius read the article. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"You don't need to worry. I'm sure the Ministry will catch whoever did it." He said.

"That's not the…" She began to say, but what was the point of telling him. He would never get it.

"Never mind." Claudia added. Julius got stuck into his toast.

"Do you want to go out for a walk? He asked.

"Sure." Claudia replied, mindlessly. She picked up the paper again and was re-reading at the article. The more she looked at it, the more horrifying it was. There was someone else she could talk to about this. Someone, who already knew how that murder was committed. Sirius.

He probably read the article already. He was always reading the papers. She could forever hear him complain about it across the Great Hall. The Death Eaters were vile… The Ministry was useless… The papers only cover half the truth... Claudia scanned the Great Hall thoroughly but could not see Sirius.

She saw James. He was sitting in the corner of the Hall, almost as if he was in trance. He was pale, quiet and staring into space. James Potter being quiet and without Sirius in tow, that was most unusual.

Pettigrew was sitting next to him. Claudia could not tell whether he was acting just as weird as James. He was always a bit weird.

Remus was not there either. Maybe they just had too much to drink. That would certainly explain all of this.

Claudia did not see Sirius anywhere for the rest of the day. Or indeed for the rest of the term. And before she knew it, she found herself on the Hogwarts Express back to London. She was sitting alone in the prefects' carriage, trying not to listen to any of the rumours explaining Sirius' absence. He was sick. His mother was dead. He was in St Mungo's, gravely injured. All of it was far-fetched. He was going to be fine. He probably just did another stupid thing and had been stuck in detention. If something really bad happened to him, Claudia was sure Regulus would not miss the opportunity to tell her and gloat.

All of this made her think back to the train journey last summer. It almost felt like another lifetime. She was so happy then. She did not know it yet, but she was beginning to fall in love with Sirius. They had just found the artefact. She really thought that they had won. And now, Marcus had mastered the inferi spell. He was a murderer and most likely a Death Eater. And she would have to spend the whole summer in the same house. All alone, surrounded by Death Eaters…

That is why Sirius' absence was making her uneasy. He was her safety net. Even after everything that happened between them, she knew that he would tell the Ministry if something happened to her. He may have been a complete nightmare to date, but he knew right from wrong when it came to the war. He would not leave her to them. He could not have. But if something really did happen to him, Claudia would be in trouble. Real trouble. No. Nothing could have happened to him. He was going to be fine. He was Sirius. He was always going to be fine.

Claudia had no one else to turn to. Alice was still not speaking to her. Julius was, but what use was that. She could not tell him anything. And with the OWLs now finished, he would insist that they spend all their time together. He would want to hang out all summer, Claudia would see him at all the parties. Everyone would be asking them when they are getting engaged. And she would have to introduce him to her mother...

"Nope. Screw this. I can't do that." Claudia muttered to herself and jumped up from her seat. She ran through the train until she found the compartment where Eleanor was sitting. She stuck her head in.

"Can I come to France with you? I really need to get away…"


	22. Chapter 22 (The Resistance)

**The Resistance**

Claudia walked up to the door of her father's study. Four times that day, she had done the same but changed her mind at the last minute. She just did not know whether he shared Marcus' confidence that the inferi spell was good enough to replace the lost artefact and to please You-Know-Who. She was out of time and done overthinking this. There was only one way to find out. She knocked.

"Enter!" She heard Frederick say, and so she did. He frowned.

"It's you." He mumbled as he looked up from his papers.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Claudia smirked. Her father was not amused.

"What do you want? Make it quick." He barked, before returning to his paperwork.

"I'm going to France with my friend Eleanor and her parents tomorrow. I'll be back in two weeks." Claudia said, resolutely.

Frederick stopped writing and looked at his daughter again.

"The muggles?" He asked, slowly.

"Yes. The muggles. Is that a problem?" Claudia replied and folded her arms across her chest. There was a long pause. Very long pause. Claudia could hear her heartbeat. She had no idea whether her insolence was going to pay off or not.

"Do whatever you want. Just get out of my sight…" Frederic whispered. He was clearly seething. But the loss of the artefact was still hanging over his head. He hated it, but he had no choice. Claudia had to try very hard not to jump with joy.

She curtsied and backed out of her father's study. The moment she shut the door behind her, she grinned and sprinted to her room. It was time to pack!

All Claudia needed to do now was to get through one more dinner with her family. How hard could that be? As it turned out, very. Her mother's eyes were puffy.

"Why didn't you come to me? Why do you want to go? Who are these people?" The questions just kept coming. "How are you going to get there? Where will you stay?" There was no need to actually answer any of these questions. That was not the point. The point was to ruin her day and make her feel guilty about going. That was clear. What was also clear was that Cassandra spent the whole afternoon pleading with her husband to change his mind. But Frederic did not look like he was going to oblige. He was eating his dinner, completely stone-faced, doing his best to ignore them all. Claudia shrugged.

"You weren't anywhere near this upset when you shipped me off to Bavaria…" She quipped in her mother's direction.

The faked concern for her daughter's well-being had drained from Cassandra's face in an instant. She opened her mouth, presumably to shout at Claudia. But it did not come to it, this time...

"Enough!" Frederic said resolutely. "Both of you." He added when he saw that Cassandra tried to speak again. Claudia bit her lip. Must not laugh. If she wanted to go, she must not laugh.

"Are you are going to let her get away with this?!" Marcus pitched in. "She's going away with actual muggles! What will people think?" He added. Frederic was no longer his emotionless self.

"I said enough. All of you!" He was screaming now. Claudia was used to a lot from her parents, but this took her by surprise. She had never seen her father like this. He was always so controlled, like an old statue.

Frederick threw his cutlery on the table, smashing the antique serving plate in the process. His chair toppled when he abruptly stood up and marched out of the dining room without saying another word. You could hear a pin drop.

"Do you see what you have done to your father?" Cassandra said in Claudia's direction. "Your insolence will be the end of us all." She added and began to get up from the table also. Oh, I do hope so! Claudia thought to herself. But she did not say another word. There was only as far as she could push them. If she took it any further, who knows what would have happened.

It was just her and Marcus left in the dining room.

"You will regret this." He hissed.

"I know. You said." Claudia smirked. But before Marcus could say anything else, she continued. "But we both know that father won't let you. So, stop pretending otherwise and fuck off." Marcus looked at her with pure loathing. But he clearly knew Claudia was right. It was pathetic really, watching him trying to come up with a comeback. But he did not. He too got up from the table and left the room. As he slammed the door behind him, Claudia sighed.

"Whatever idiot said that family was everything, clearly did not have one." She muttered to herself. She reached across the table and grabbed couple of chocolate cakes. For the journey. That brought her smile back.

Nobody came to say goodbye to her the following morning. Claudia did not mind. They were clearly keen to be rid of her. And she felt exactly the same way about them. She did not dare ask her parents for pocket money. That would certainly send her father over the edge. Instead, she grabbed couple of the horrific pieces of jewellery she got gifted over the years and set off for Diagon Alley to sell them and get some muggle money from Gringotts. By lunchtime, she was all ready to go, waiting for a train to Winchester at Waterloo. Eleanor was going to meet her at the station. And tomorrow, they were going to drive with her family to France. At last!

Even before Claudia's feet touched the platform at Winchester, she saw Eleanor waving at her. Eleanor run up to Claudia and hugged her. It took Claudia by surprise every time. Maybe, one day, she will get used to it. As Eleanor let go, she looked down at what Claudia was wearing. Her usual shirt and trousers. It was not the Hogwarts uniform, but it was not far off.

"You'll need some new clothes if you are to pass as a proper muggle… Let's stop by the department store before we go home." Eleanor quipped. Claudia hated clothes shopping, but her curiosity won. She had never been to a muggle department store, so she agreed to go.

And oh boy, was she glad she did! The clothes were so much more comfortable than wizarding robes or her school uniform. She picked out some jeans, shorts and lots of t-shirts. Why they were not selling these in Diagon Alley, she did not know.

"Want to look at some dresses?" Asked Eleanor, as they neared the tills.

"No chance. I hate dresses." Claudia smirked. Eleanor clearly did not understand, so Claudia continued. "If your mother forced you into horrible puffy dresses ever since you could remember, you would hate them too." Eleanor chuckled.

"Well, if you're done, let's go. I need to get a haircut too." She said.

"Must we?" Claudia asked, she hated this kind of stuff.

"Yes, we must." Eleanor said, rolling her eyes. They left the department store and made their way down the high street into the hairdresser.

Claudia was not sure why she stayed in the salon, waiting for Eleanor to get her haircut. Bored stiff, she picked out one of the magazines lying on the coffee table and skimmed it. It was dreadful, full of gossip and meaningless drivel. It was even worse than 'Witch Weekly', Claudia thought and threw the magazine back on the table. She picked up another one. This one was full of the latest hairstyles. Big, curly hairstyles. Claudia laughed, one of the poor models actually looked like one of those over-pampered dogs that run around on the Heath. She turned the page. This was better. _Best short hairstyles of the decade_. Read the headline. Claudia looked at the different pictures and then she spotted something she was not expecting – a haircut that she actually liked! It was a short bob with a fringe, and the hair on the back of the head was just very slightly shaved off to make the back super short. It looked beyond cute.

Claudia picked up her ponytail between her fingers and sighed. She never liked her long hair. It was so tedious to wash and look after. It never occurred to her that she could actually do something about it. She loved this! But it was too far. Her mother would kill her.

"Ready to go?" Claudia looked up from the page. Eleanor was done with her haircut.

"Sure." Claudia whispered. She closed the magazine, put it back down and followed Eleanor out of the salon. They just about made it around the corner when Claudia suddenly stopped.

"Do we still have time?" She asked.

"I think so. What for?" Eleanor replied, looking at her watch. Claudia did not respond. She turned around on her heel and run back to the salon. It was now or never.

She barged in, found the haircut she liked in the magazine and shoved it under the hairdresser's nose. Her hands were trembling.

"Can I have this one, please?" She asked. With one cut of the scissors, her long ponytail was gone. Claudia could not stop giggling the whole way through the haircut. There were going to be consequences, but who cared anymore.

_"All your life… You were only waiting for this moment to be free…" _Blasted from the radio. It felt so right.

She practically skipped all the way back to Eleanor's house, looking into every window or reflective surface that they passed. She loved her new hair. It felt so light. Between this and the new clothes, even her family would struggle to recognise her. That brought her joy.

They set off to France the following day. From the start, there was something strange about the whole set up. By the time they were getting off the ferry in Normandy, it struck her. No-one was arguing. There were no snide remarks, no hostility.

"This is not going to last." Claudia laughed to herself. But she was wrong. It did last. Ten days of absolute bliss followed. They ate good food, spend time on the beach, went for hikes. Claudia was devastated when they turned the caravan around to go back up north and to England.

But there was still Paris to go and that excited Claudia more than anything else. Unfortunately, the drive to Paris was long and Claudia was getting restless.

"Will you sit still already?" Eleanor laughed, as Claudia kept fidgeting in her seat. Reading a map one minute, looking for something in her bag and fidgeting with the pillow the next.

"I can't." Claudia shook her head.

"Why on Earth not?" Eleanor laughed.

"Only three days until we get our OWL results…" Claudia whispered.

"Does this mean you are going to be like this for the rest of the holiday?" Eleanor asked, rolling her eyes. Claudia nodded.

"Please, distract me!" She laughed.

"How much do you know about muggle history?" Eleanor asked.

"Practically nothing." Shrugged Claudia. Eleanor threw her the book she was reading.

"This should keep you busy then." Claudia looked at the cover.

"What's the French Resistance?" She asked.

"Read it." Eleanor said solemnly. Her usual cheerful demeanour had gone.

That peaked Claudia's interest and so, she opened the book and got stuck in. She read about the rise of fascism in Germany, about the concentration camps, about the invasion of France, and the fight that the Resistance put up. It was one horror after another. She spent the rest of the day curled up in her seat, taking everything in. She could not believe that neither her governess, nor any of the Hogwarts professors ever mentioned this. By the time they reached the outskirts of Paris, she had finished.

"Dinner, girls?" Asked Eleanor's mum cheerfully as they parked the car by a busy bistro. Claudia did not care. She was not in the mood to eat. How could she be?!

"Are you ok, dear?" Asked Eleanor's mum. She must have watched her poking the dinner around. Claudia nodded.

"It's just this book. I had no idea about any of it. No-one ever told me…" She whispered and looked up at them. The whole family had no idea what she was talking about.

"The war... The camps..." Claudia managed to get out. She was nearly in tears. Not because she felt particularly sorry about what happened. But it was _just_ like You-Know-Who and his pureblood nonsense. She looked towards Eleanor. If You-Know-Who had his way, she would be dead. Just because she was a muggle-born.

"If you find that interesting, you might like where we are going tomorrow." Eleanor's dad said, smiling. All three of them looked completely oblivious to the danger they were in. And she could not bring herself to tell them.

Early in the morning, they drove up to an old fortress in the suburbs of Paris. Claudia was exhausted. She barely slept at night.

"It's called Fort Mont-Valérien. It was used as a prison during the war. Now, it's a memorial to the French Resistance." Eleanor's dad explained, as they got out of the car and made their way to the entrance. The family chatted as they walked around the place. Claudia followed them. To distract herself from how sick the thought of You-Know-Who made her feel, she read every single inscription she saw. The French lessons that she was subjected to as a child were finally paying off.

_The fortress was used as a __prison__ and place of executions by the __Nazi__ occupiers of Paris... The prisoners were taken to be shot in a clearing nearby... More than a thousand hostages and members of the Resistance were executed by the Nazis in this place... _

Claudia spend the rest of the day barely aware of what was going on around her.

That evening, Claudia and Eleanor were lying in a tent. Claudia was clutching the French Resistance insignia she bought in the souvenir shop earlier. Her head was still spinning. This is where You-Know-Who was heading. This was the future. Except it would not be the Jews who would die, it would be Eleanor, Lucy and all the other muggleborns. And it would not be the French Resistance who would get killed for treason, it would be Alice and her dad, Claudia herself, and Sirius...

Claudia felt so embarrassed for wasting the last six months being angry at him. She should have been focusing on trying to stop Marcus, not on some stupid kiss. It had to stop now. There was work to be done. The moment she was back in London, she was going to start investigating properly. She needed to find something. Something that would implicate Marcus.

Claudia wiped her eyes. She did not even know when she started crying. Marcus… Were her family really capable of committing such horrors? Of course, they were! Marcus did kill someone just to prove he was worthy of joining You-Know-Who's dumb cause. The thought that she shared blood with the lot of them made her sick. Actually sick to her stomach. All of this made her even more nervous about her OWL results. She needed to keep alive her dream of becoming an auror. She had no other choice. Someone had to stop them. She had to stop them.

"Do you think you and Julius are going to get married?" Eleanor whispered out of nowhere. Claudia did not quite understand how Eleanor managed to come up with these bombshell questions. She laughed nervously. It did not feel quite right to talk about nonsense like this right now...

"Is that a yes?" Eleanor giggled.

"You were serious?" Claudia asked. Just the thought of that was ridiculous. "I doubt I'll ever get married. It's just not for me." She added. Eleanor sighed.

"I'm not sure about marrying Ian either. I've never even kissed anyone else... It doesn't feel quite right to marry the first boy you kiss." Claudia smirked, remembering who the first boy she kissed was.

"That would be an even dumber decision than marrying Julius." She replied.

Eleanor propped herself up on her elbow.

"Julius was not your first kiss?" She asked, her tone a mixture of excitement and surprise. Claudia continued to stare at the tent roof.

"No. It was a friend of mine." She whispered.

"Who?" Asked Eleanor.

"It doesn't matter." Claudia sighed.

"Come on, tell me!" Eleanor was not letting this go.

"I really can't." Claudia said and shook her head. Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"Was it at least a good kiss?" She asked. Claudia smiled. Alice never asked her that. She took a deep breath. The paralysing anger was gone. Claudia was not entirely sure where to. It must have been the shock of what she saw today.

"It was amazing. We were walking through London. It was snowing. We had some champagne. He was _very _good at it. It was just perfect. Well, perfect until he said we should go back to being friends..." She whispered.

"And did you? Go back to being friends?" Eleanor asked.

"We've barely spoken since." Claudia sighed. It felt weird thinking about Sirius like this again.

"At least you know what a perfect kiss feels like..." Eleanor added. Claudia smiled. That was true.

"Hard for anything else to live up to it though..." Claudia quipped. Her eyes were filling up and she was close to confessing everything. But she could not crumble and become a weeping mess again. Not on a day like this. She needed to change the conversation.

"What was yours like?" She asked. Eleanor picked up her pillow and buried her face in it.

"It wasn't even a real kiss. He wanted to kiss me. I turned my cheek... So, we just sort of bumped into each other. It was so awkward. It still is." Claudia could barely pick out what Eleanor was saying. The pillow muffled every word.

"I think it's ok for it to be bit awkward. I still feel bit awkward around Julius." Claudia try to sound reassuring. Eleanor stopped hiding in the pillow.

"And your other kiss? Was that also awkward?" She asked.

"No, it wasn't. Not one bit." Claudia sighed. She thought back to last Christmas. Kissing Sirius just felt so natural. Must have been the champagne.

"Who was it?" Eleanor tried asking again. Claudia really did not want to talk about it.

"Good night." She said.

"Come on! Tell me!" Eleanor insisted.

"Good night, Eleanor." Claudia said and turned over to face the other way. Eleanor mumbled something disparaging. Claudia pretended to fall asleep. But in reality, she just could not. Her mind was racing. Sirius… The Resistance… Marcus… The war… Her OWLs… Tomorrow, she was going to get her results. Her life depended on what was in that envelope. And who knew how many other lives could depend on it too.

Eleanor was still eyeing Claudia suspiciously the following morning. But before she could start asking any more questions about Claudia's love life, a brown owl landed on their camping table. Claudia took off the envelope and ripped it open. Her hands were shaking. She scanned the page...

_Charms – Outstanding._ So far so good.

_Potions – Outstanding._ Anything else would have been embarrassing.

_Defence Against the Dark Arts – Outstanding._ Her father would be so proud.

_Transfiguration – Exceeds Expectations._ Predictable.

_Herbology – Exceeds Expectations_... Exceeds Expectations?!

Claudia had to re-read that line three times. She sank into her chair with a huge smile. She did it. She barely noticed what other marks she got. It did not matter. The OWL results made the packing and journey back much more bearable. She may have been going back to spend the rest of the summer with her awful family, but at least her plan was still intact. She was going to become an auror and make them regret it all.

The following morning, Claudia was standing on the doorstep of her parent's house in Frognal Gardens. The holiday was truly over. She did not even open the door properly, before she heard her mother.

"Claudia, my dear. You're home. How was…" Cassandra stopped so suddenly, it was as if someone stupefied her. "What is that?" She asked, sharply.

"What is what?" Replied Claudia.

"That! On your head!" Cassandra was jabbing her finger at her.

"That's hair…" Claudia smirked.

"Who did this to you? You look awful! Like a boy!" Cassandra could barely speak, she was shaking.

"I did it. And I like it." Claudia replied, with a shrug. "I'm going to unpack. Lunch at one?" She added, as casually as she could. Cassandra was standing in the hallway, completely frozen. Claudia did not wait for her mother to recover and run up the stairs to her room.

"I'm taking you to the Diagon Alley to get your hair fixed in the afternoon!" Cassandra gathered enough composure to shout after her daughter.

"Fat chance." Claudia muttered, as she shut the door behind her. How her mother could worry about Claudia's hair in the midst of what her husband and son were up to was incomprehensible... Claudia looked around her room. It was unusually tidy. There was also a bunch of letters from Julius on her bed. Claudia skimmed them. He wrote about his holidays, his parent's party, Claudia's parent's party, whether he was going to be invited... He clearly had a very boring summer. She needed to go and see him. But first, she needed to follow the Daily Prophet lead.

Claudia had no idea where to start. She had never even been to the Daily Prophet Offices in Diagon Alley. How was she meant to formulate a plan based on nothing? So, she decided to go there and have a look around. Worst case scenario, it will be a wasted trip. And who knows, maybe she might stumble upon something useful.

The next day, Claudia put on her most respectable clothes and set of for Diagon Alley. The offices were not difficult to find and before she knew it, she found herself in the reception. She must have looked really out of place. Barely a second after she stepped in, Claudia noticed a receptionist walking towards her. She was going to get thrown out a lot quicker than she thought.

"Are you here for the junior reporter interview? You're late!" The receptionist barked. Claudia could not believe her luck. She nodded. "Sorry." She muttered.

The receptionist ordered her to wait and disappeared down a corridor. Claudia was left standing in the hallway. She was no longer happy about what just happened. She was nervous. A job interview! How is that going to work? She had not prepared anything. What did it even mean to be a junior reporter?

"Stop it. You don't actually want the job." She muttered to herself. But that did not help. It did not matter. Despite the hatred she held for her family and their obsession with blood-purity, she was still a Slytherin. She needed to pass that interview! Failing would just be embarrassing. Her train of thought was interrupted by a young man who emerged from round the corner.

"Francesca Abbott?" He asked in Claudia's direction. Claudia smiled through her nerves and extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you." She said, smiling as broadly as she could.

They sat down in a small meeting room. Claudia took few sips of the water than had been prepared for her.

"So, tell me. Why do you want to work for the Daily Prophet?" Asked the reporter. He probably said his name, but she forgot… Claudia did not remember anything she said in the next half an hour. She was so nervous. At the end of the interview, the reporter smiled.

"Let me just get my boss. She's been busy but would like to meet you." He said. Did that mean she did well?! The lifetime of improvising and making stuff up to survive her family had clearly prepared her for situation such as this. Her interviewer came back few minutes later, but he was alone.

"She'll be here shortly." He said and sat back down.

This was Claudia's chance to speak up and find out if he knew anything.

"What have you been working on?" She asked, as casually as possible.

"Here and there. The summers are usually fairly quiet." The reporter shrugged.

"Even with that murder in Hogsmeade?" Claudia asked, with an innocent smile.

"Yeah. Shocking..." The reporter said. He clearly was not very talkative.

"It was a shock to all of us at Hogwarts. So close to the school. I would be surprised if they allow us into the village next year…" Claudia said. Shit! She realised what she did and chuckled. "Old habits die hard… Rather, if they allow _the students_ into the village next year." She added. The reporter smiled at her.

"I doubt it. It was pretty gruesome. And they haven't found him yet…" He replied. Him?! That certainly made it sound like he knew something, so Claudia continued.

"It must be so exciting being so close to all this action." She whispered, looking straight at him.

"It is pretty good." He laughed, clearly beginning to relax.

"Does the ministry have any leads?" Claudia asked. The reporter looked towards the door.

"They're after someone, but he's disappeared." He whispered, knowingly.

"How do you know all of this?" She asked, in the most admiring voice she could fake.

"I really shouldn't say." He sounded almost embarrassed.

"Who am I going to say? And besides, I might be working here soon." Claudia giggled in response.

He grinned back at her, then leaned closer.

"We had an anonymous source.. And now, the Ministry are after him." He whispered. Claudia had to try very hard to hide her disappointment.

"Ah. So the ministry are after this guy as a witness? Not a suspect?" She replied. The reporter shrugged.

"The aurors investigating it wouldn't tell..." He began to say. But before he could finish, a blond woman in bright turquoise robes toddled into the room in the highest heels Claudia had ever seen.

"What are you two whispering about?" She asked sharply.

Please do not say anything, please do not say anything. Claudia repeated in her head. This woman did not look like she was going to be as easily fooled. But the reporter did say.

"Fran, this is Miss Skeeter…" He said, before turning to his boss. "Fran was telling me how the Hogsmeade murder shocked everyone at Hogwarts..." Miss Skeeter's eyes had narrowed.

"Were you still at Hogwarts last year?" She said from behind her spectacles.

"Yes." Claudia replied tentatively. It felt like something was up.

"Because your CV said you graduated three years ago…" Miss Skeeter said slowly, carefully studying Claudia's face.

"Of course, I did. I was just in Hogsmeade that weekend, visiting my younger sister who is still there..." Claudia try to say with a confident smile, but inside, she was panicking.

Miss Skeeter smiled broadly.

"My dear. Do us all a favour and get out of here." She quipped.

"I don't know what you're talk..." Claudia began to protest but did not even get a chance to finish.

"I said get out if here. Whoever you are. Before I call security…" Miss Skeeter barked. Claudia did not say another word. She knew that the game was up. She backed out of the meeting room and shut the door behind her. The moment she did that, she heard Miss Skeeter again.

"You idiot! You call yourself a journalist?! What did you tell her?" She yelled. Claudia did not dare listen any longer...

She run out of there as fast as she could and dived into a nearby shop to hide. There was no guarantee that Miss Skeeter did not change her mind and called security on her. Claudia smiled. It was not much, but it was something to go on. And she nearly got a job in the process… A real job!

_AN: Are any of my dear regular (or indeed irregular) readers talented artists? I would be interested in commissioning some fanart for this story. Message me if you would be interested, and I will let you know what I had in mind._


	23. Chapter 23 (The Garden Party)

**The Garden Party**

_Warning: Scene of sexual nature (nothing explicit, just extremely cringy) and description of domestic violence_

The next morning, Claudia knew she could avoid Julius no longer. She scribbled a note for him and sent it by the family owl.

_"Don't bother, the party is going to be awful. I can come to see you this afternoon. 30 Montague Road, right?"_

She did some reading and after lunch, set off for Richmond where Julius lived. His jaw almost dropped off his face when he saw her standing on the doorstep. It took Claudia a while to understand. After all, he did reply to say it would be nice if she came. Then it struck her… She was so used to the hair now. It was as if she always had it this short.

"What do you think?" She asked cheekily.

"I guess I'll get used to it?" Julius stuttered.

"You better. I'm never growing it long again." Claudia laughed.

Julius recovered from the shock enough to give her a tour of the house, at the end of which, they found themselves in his room. Claudia had seen a hundred of rooms like this in her life. The antique furniture, the Slytherin colours, the heavy curtains. She turned around to make a joke but thought better of it when she saw Julius' face. He was frowning.

"We've been together for six months! Why don't you want me to come to your parent's party?" He asked but did not really give her a chance to respond. "You're ashamed of me, admit it." He added grumpily. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Don't you get it? I'm ashamed of _them_. All the pure-blood nonsense they keep spouting." She said impatiently.

"I wouldn't mind." Julius shrugged.

"What do you mean? You wouldn't mind?" Claudia asked, for once, having no clue what was going on.

"I don't like it either. I'm proud of my family and all… But sometimes they do take it too far." Julius replied. He looked at her, as if he was considering confessing to more. He sat down on his bed and looked to the floor.

"You see… It was my grandfather, who wrote _the Pure-Blood Directory_." Claudia was stumped. The infamous pamphlet on which the pureblood mania was based on. Written by Julius' grandfather? That was seriously disturbing.

She sat down next to him and reached out for his hand. She always thought that Julius did not join her brother's gang just because they were dating. She had no idea he actually agreed with her. It was time to come clean.

"My father is a Death Eater... And Marcus probably too by now." She said, staring at their hands. It felt quite good to finally get it off her chest.

"My uncle too." She heard Julius whisper. Claudia had no idea what he was going to say in response to her confession, but she was not expecting him to say that! She looked up at him.

"I didn't know." She whispered back. Julius gave her a sad smile.

"You never asked." He said. Claudia felt an inexplicable feeling of warmth towards him. She put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him. For the first time, it felt like a real kiss.

They were alone in the house. If she wanted to do it. Oh, what the hell… Claudia thought to herself. She gave Julius another brief kiss and smiled. Then she looked down at her shirt and started to unbutton it.

"Are you sure about this?" Julius asked. Claudia smiled at him. He looked as if he did not believe what he was seeing. His eyes were flickering nervously between her chest and the door, as if he was expecting his parents to barge in any second.

"I'm sure about this." Claudia whispered and threw her unbuttoned shirt to the floor. In a fraction of a second, Julius' shirt was off too.

They both got up and took off their trousers. And then, they just stood there. Claudia was giggling nervously. She had no idea what to do next. Julius had the presence of mind to get back into his bed. He held up the duvet for Claudia and she slipped in to join him. It was strange, lying next to him, this close, almost completely naked.

"Should we, take off...?" Julius began to ask but could not quite bring himself to finish the sentence. He did not need to. Claudia kissed him, reached down, and took off her underwear. He must have done the same. She did not dare to look.

Julius struggled with Claudia's bra strap. He was taking way too long, Claudia thought. To save him the embarrassment, she turned onto her back and shuffled closer to him. He gave up with the bra and climbed on top of her.

"Do you have _the potion_? He asked.

"The one to prevent unintended consequences? Yes." Claudia said and kissed him.

"Are you really sure about this?" Julius asked again.

"Do you want me to change my mind now?" Claudia laughed. He did not. She felt tiny bit of discomfort, but that was it. Contrary to what the old wives' tales would lead her to believe, it was neither painful nor particularly special. It was just bit awkward. And the more they moved, the weirder it felt. Maybe if I move a bit more, or a bit less, or I put my leg here, or there... Claudia was wrecking her brain throughout the whole thing. This could not have been it. So much fuss. And what for?!

At some point, Julius stopped moving and dropped back down next to her. Claudia turned to him.

"Did it hurt? Are you ok?" He asked, brushing his hand against her arm.

"No. I'm ok." Claudia replied. Julius reached out for her hand and squeezed it.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Me too." Claudia replied almost automatically. She never understood what the big deal was with these three words. It was just something people said to make each other feel better. They continued to look at each other for few more minutes.

"I should go. Your parents will be home any time now." Claudia said finally. She sat up, slid her legs down the bed and began to put her clothes back on.

She turned to look at Julius, who was still lying in the bed propping himself up on his elbow. She had never seen him smile quite this much.

"You should come to the party. For moral support against the pure-blood brigade." Claudia said.

"Are you asking me to come as your boyfriend?" Julius asked. Claudia smiled at him.

"Yes, as my boyfriend." Claudia could not help but smile for the rest of the day. She was even beginning to look forward to the bloody garden party that her mother was planning. Maybe Julius would finally grow a spine and stand up for himself, and what he believed in. Maybe, they would have a chance after all.

The following day, Claudia was about to sneak out to Hampstead Heath with a sandwich, but her mother caught her.

"Let's have lunch dear. Just us girls." Cassandra said with a fake smile. She was up to something. Claudia reluctantly sat down at the table, just as Sky brought out the starters.

"I wanted to talk to you about something..." Cassandra said.

"Yes?" Claudia asked wearily. She was dreading whatever was coming.

"You are growing into a young woman..." Cassandra began to say.

"Mother, please." Claudia growled.

"You are growing into a young woman." Cassandra repeated. "And there are certain expectations that come with it." She added. Claudia frowned. She did not like expectations. They were almost always bullshit. And the complete opposite of what she wanted to do.

"I was hoping that you will come to understand these expectations yourself... But the hair." Cassandra continued. She was on a verge of tears. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Is my hair really the most important thing to you?!" Claudia could not help but to feel little amused. If her mother knew what Claudia got up to when she went to see Julius, she would have a breakdown. She could practically hear her. You gave away your greatest treasure! No one is going to want to marry you now! It took all of Claudia's strength not to burst out laughing.

"I just worry what people will think." Cassandra continued.

"What do you mean? What should they think?" Claudia was becoming quite annoyed now.

"That there is something wrong with you, or course! Short hair, strange clothes, all the Quidditch." Cassandra complained. "At least you have a boyfriend now... But if it wasn't for Marcus, we wouldn't even know..." She added, with a slight frown.

"At least I have a boyfriend? What's that supposed to mean?" Claudia barked. Her temper was definitely rising now.

"People expect you to have a boyfriend at your age. I was getting worried and so were my friends… Anyway, is he coming to the party next week?" Cassandra asked cheerfully.

"Yes." Said Claudia through gritted teeth, regretting already she had ever invited him. Cassandra's eyes had lit up.

"Is he? With his parents? We need to prepare. Get you something to wear. What does he like to eat? We should ask the house-elf to prepare something special for him." She went on and on. As usual, there was no need to answer any of these questions.

"He'll be fine. He's not royalty." Claudia hissed. She was beginning to regret that her father and Marcus were out at work most days. It would have been easier to have lunch with a couple of murderers. Anything would have been easier than this. Cassandra frowned.

"I hope you don't speak this way to him. Remember, you need to be nice to him. He's your boyfriend." Cassandra paused. "_He should be royalty to you_." She added with a beaming smile. Claudia could not believe her ears. She had never heard such nonsense before.

But before she had a chance to respond and complain, Cassandra called for the house-elf. Sky ran into the room.

"Yes, mistress?" She asked, still panting.

"Claudia will find out what her boyfriend likes to eat. You will take extra care in making it for the party." Cassandra barked at Sky. Claudia was screaming on the inside. There was no way she was going to do that. Ever! She was about to protest out loud, when Sky spoke again.

"Yes, mistress… I'm also about to go to the Ministry to drop off the bonnet that Master had forgotten." Claudia recovered her bearings.

"I can take it." She jumped in. She was desperate to get into the Ministry after what she learned in the Daily Prophet's offices. This was as good chance of a as she was going to get. Cassandra looked at her suspiciously. Claudia volunteering to help out her parents was not exactly usual.

"I can stop by in Diagon Alley to look at some new robes for the party." Claudia added hopefully.

"Fine." Cassandra agreed. She was so easy to fool! At least this stupid lunch was good for something, Claudia thought as she run out of the house before her mother changed her mind.

Claudia knew full well where her father's office was at the Ministry. But she pretended to get lost and found herself peeking into the various rooms on the floor that housed the Auror's Office. Finally, she saw something interesting. There was a big board in the middle of the room. Claudia scanned it. There was a map of Hogsmeade. Some documents that were too far to read. And a picture of a man with straggly ginger hair and a stubble. 'Wanted - MF' was written in big letter across the top of the picture. That must be him! The person that journalist said the aurors were looking for! The one who saw the corpse. Claudia took few tentative steps towards the board…

"Claudia? Is that you? What are you doing here?" Claudia jumped. It was Mr Adler.

"I got lost looking for my father's office." She replied quickly.

"Wrong floor, my dear. Roberts here will show you." Mr Adler gestured towards a young man.

"Follow me." Roberts said with a wink. Claudia narrowed her eyes. He looked vaguely familiar. He must have noticed that she did not recognise him.

"We played Quidditch against each other. I was in Ravenclaw. Graduated last year." He quipped. No wonder she did not really recognise him. She barely paid attention to who her Quidditch opponents were. Well, except that Leanne girl. Claudia bit her lip. That was embarrassing...

"I remember you now." She lied. She was about to ask him a lot of questions and did not want to seem rude. They set off together down the corridor.

"Are you working on the Hogsmeade murder?" She asked, as innocently as she could. Roberts nodded.

"Lot of us are. The Minister is pushing us really hard to find the culprit. Lots of parents are worried about sending kids back to school." He explained.

"I am thinking about applying to be an auror when I graduate..." Claudia said.

"Are you, really? Do you have any questions about it?" Roberts asked enthusiastically. They arrived at the lifts. Roberts pressed the button.

"What does it involve? Working on a murder... Hunting suspects…" Claudia said. She was fishing for information about 'MF'. But before the young auror could respond, the lift door opened. And there was Marcus, scowling at them

"What are you doing here?" He snapped as he got out of the lift.

"Dropping this off for our dear father…" She replied.

"I'll take it." Marcus said as he snatched the bag from her. She did not care, she got what she came for. They continued to stare at each other, arms folded.

"Do I need to call security, or are you going to get out of here?" Marcus finally asked.

"I'll walk you out". Roberts piped up. "We haven't quite finished talking about…" He continued but Claudia would not let him finish that sentence.

"Yes, Quidditch." She interrupted, before turning to Marcus.

"You must remember Roberts. He was on the Ravenclaw team. He would have played against you, before… You know." Claudia smirked. Marcus growled and walked away.

"What was that about?" Asked Roberts.

"He's still recovering from the fact I took his spot on the Quidditch team. Just the usual sibling rivalry." Claudia replied. She had to play it cool. If she told him that the person the aurors had been looking for was her brother, he would laugh. Or escort her right into St Mungo's.

"Anyway, if you need help with your application, let me know." Roberts said as they got out of the lifts into the atrium.

"Thanks." Said Claudia. She would not normally accept help but could make an exception on this one. This one was important.

Few weeks passed and the day of the dreaded garden party had finally arrived. Claudia went to pick up Julius from the front door and led him tentatively into the garden where her parents were already mingling with an array of relatives and acquaintances. Frederick shook Julius' hand.

"I know your uncle well… From the Ministry." He said. Claudia nearly burst out laughing. Right, from the _Ministry_.

"Good, pure-blood family." Frederick added.

"Like that matters…" Claudia muttered towards Julius. However, he ignored her.

"Thank you, Sir." He said to Frederick instead. Claudia did not understand. It was as if she imagined the whole conversation in his bedroom.

But having to watch Julius growl in front of her father was still not the worst thing about this stupid party. Not by a long shot. Cassandra was completely beside herself. She was dragging them around all the relatives.

"This is my daughter's boyfriend, Julius... Yes, the Nott boy... They are in Slytherin together... Don't they make a lovely couple..." The chatter was endless. Claudia was not entirely sure how much longer she would last before tearing someone's head off.

"What do you think about the hair?" Cassandra asked Julius as they moved across the lawn. Julius mumbles something incomprehensible.

"See? Even your boyfriend can't bring himself to say he likes it." Cassandra smirked, just as they reached the next cluster of acquaintances, and began to introduce them enthusiastically.

"If this goes on for much longer, I will have to break up with you." Claudia whispered to Julius. She was only half joking.

"Oh, come on. She's just happy for you." Julius replied.

"She's happy that she can show us off. She does not care how I feel… Can we please get out of here?" Claudia said.

They found an empty bench and sat down. Claudia pulled her legs close to her chest and scowled at Julius.

"_Thank you, Sir…_ Why did you not say anything?" She asked.

"What would be the point? There is nothing I can actually do and I don't like upsetting people..." Julius shrugged. Claudia shook her head. She used to be like that, but not anymore. She did not get a chance to complain any further. She noticed Regulus walking up to them. He was beaming.

"Speaking of upsetting people." Claudia muttered. She had no patience for him lately. Especially not since the incident with Marcus.

"Why are you so happy?" Claudia snapped.

"Didn't you hear?" Regulus smirked.

"Hear what?" Asked Julius. Clearly, he had no idea what Regulus was talking about either.

"My brother's run away. Nobody knows where he is... He might be dead, for all we know." Regulus quipped. Claudia's stomach took a turn. He could not have. He had to be fine.

"Is he dropping out of school?" Claudia asked, as casually as she could. Regulus shrugged.

"Who cares? I think he did something really stupid and got expelled. Surprise, surprise…" He could barely contain his glee. Claudia could not bring herself to ask any more questions. She knew that Sirius was a tetchy subject with both of them and her head was too busy for an argument. But she could not stop thinking about Regulus' news for the rest of the party. Everything else just seemed so pointless in comparison.

"Not really surprising about Black, is it?" Asked Julius, as she was walking him out of the house.

"Ehm?" Claudia said mindlessly… "I guess not." She added, once she realised what it was that Julius had asked her.

"You used to be friends. Didn't you?" Julius asked. He tried to sound casual, but he was clearly anything but.

"Not really." Claudia shook her head. She did not really want to lie to Julius anymore. They were finally getting on! But if she admitted they used to be friends, she would have to say why they were not friends anymore… And she just could not do that.

"Good riddance, I say." Julius mumbled.

"Yeah." Claudia gave him a brief kiss and unceremoniously shut the door behind him.

She felt desperately anxious. Back at the end of term, she convinced herself that she wanted Sirius to be fine because he was her safety net. But of course, that was not the whole story. She told Sirius many times that she wanted him out of her life. She told herself the same. But now, that it was truly possible that she would never see him again, she felt differently. She was worried about him.

She agonised for hours whether she should write to him or not. Finally, she could not take it anymore and decided that she simply must find out what happened. She found the notebook that she got from Sirius at the bottom of the wardrobe and opened it. Her eyes rested on the old messages from Christmas.

_"Claude, please. Don't be mad."_

_"Hope we can still be friends."_

All it did was to remind her of what Sirius did. The notebook was back at the bottom of the wardrobe before you could say 'broken heart'. She could not believe she was yet again crying over him.

The night has done absolutely nothing to relieve Claudia's anxiety. She could barely eat anything for breakfast and struggled to keep her mind of Sirius for more than thirty seconds. Packing, reading, even going for a run. Nothing helped. She still needed to go to Diagon Alley to buy the last bits and bobs for school. If that did not help, nothing would. Claudia threw on some clothes and run down the stairs.

"Where are you going dressed like that? What even are these?" She heard her mother's voice coming from the sitting room. Claudia sighed and turned around.

"These are shorts, mother." She replied defiantly.

"Short they are. Go back and put a dress on. You are not a boy or a muggle…" Cassandra barked. Last year, Claudia would have gone up. She would throw on a dress over what she was wearing and left. But not anymore. She was done hiding from them who she was.

"No." She said, resolutely.

"What do you mean, no? What will people think?" Cassandra screamed.

"I really don't care." Claudia said as calmly as she could, run towards the door and slammed it behind her. She knew there would be hell to pay when she got back home. But who cared anymore? Her parent's house was hell to her even when she did try to behave.

She was just so sick and tired of her mother trying to turn her into the daughter she wanted. The pretty dresses, the jewellery, the pointless socialising. It was all awful. Why could they just not accept her for who she was? Claudia. The person who liked potions, Quidditch and being left alone. She hated being pigeonholed as some stupid girl. Hated it.

Claudia was still seething when she arrived in Diagon Alley. At least, it took her mind of worrying about Sirius for a while… Just as she thought about him again, she spotted James Potter standing in the street. He looked back to his usual self and was checking out a group of girls in front of the ice cream parlour. Claudia could not hold her anxiety in any longer. She needed to know whether Sirius was ok. If anyone knew, it would be James.

"Potter!" She shouted across the street and set off towards him. James turned around and looked at her sceptically.

"What on Earth do you want from me?!" He asked. Arrogant idiot, Claudia thought but let it go. She looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear.

"Is he OK?" She whispered. It took James a moment to realise what Claudia was talking about.

"That's always been difficult to judge… In what way is he meant to be OK?" James smirked. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Do you know where he is? Is he alive?" She asked pointedly.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" James replied, looking over her shoulder. Claudia turned her head to see where he was looking and saw Sirius walking towards them.

"What are you two talking about? Don't tell me. Some stupid Quidditch feud…" Sirius said, as he got near them. Claudia could tell that his heart was not really in the joke. He seemed almost haunted and was looking at her nervously.

"If I thought that Slytherins had hearts, I'd say she was worried about you, mate." James smirked.

"Go away, James." Sirius said sharply. James rolled his eyes and disappeared down the street.

Claudia had no idea where to look. This was so awkward.

"Regulus said you were expelled." That was all that she eventually managed to get out of her.

"Sorry to disappoint you. Been disappointing a lot of people lately... Just here for my textbooks." Sirius replied. Still looking like he was getting ready to be yelled at again.

"Don't be stupid. I wouldn't want you to get expelled." Claudia said, shaking her head.

"I thought you'd be delighted." Sirius sneered. "Since you said you wished me dead…" He added glumly. Claudia felt little guilty, so looked away.

"You should know better than to take me seriously when I'm angry." She whispered. There was more awkward silence.

Claudia finally summoned enough courage to look at him again. Sirius raised the tiniest of smiles. His eyes were still sad though.

"Where are you off to? I'll come with you… If you want." He said.

"Quality Quidditch Supplies." Claudia smiled back at him. Sirius rolled his eyes. She was starting to get the impression that he did not much like Quidditch. But he set off towards the shop with her anyway.

"Regulus also said that you've run away." Claudia continued. Sirius sighed.

"Yeah. That bit is true. I'm staying with James. I couldn't take it anymore..." He paused and gave Claudia another sad smile. "You know what it's like." He added quietly.

"Yeah, I know." Claudia whispered, looking to the ground. There was no need to say more than that.

"How has it been?" Sirius asked.

"I've been away with Eleanor and her parents for a couple of weeks. That was good." Claudia shrugged.

"Muggle holiday?" Sirius piped up. He looked genuinely jealous. Claudia nodded.

"Mother is regretting it already. Apparently, I look like a muggle boy now." She said, imitating her mother's mannerism and pointing at her head.

"I think the hair suits you. It's very _you_." Sirius said, just as they got to the door of the shop.

"Are you coming in?" Claudia asked, pushing the door open.

"No chance." Sirius chuckled. It was good to see him even little happy again.

"I'll see you at school then." Claudia said and she was gone before Sirius could reply.

She wondered around the shop aimlessly for good half an hour. She had forgotten completely what it was that she needed, but she did not care. Sirius was fine and that was all that mattered.

Claudia did not want to go home that afternoon. She knew her mother would still be livid, and she wanted to enjoy her good mood for little bit longer. So, she walked. It took her nearly two hours to get to Hampstead from Diagon Alley. But it did not matter. The longer it took, the less time she would have to spend with them before going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. By the time she got back, it was well after dinner. Claudia got half-way up the stairs and thought that she got away with it. But she was wrong.

"Are you going to apologise to me? For what you said? For missing dinner?" Cassandra screeched, as she emerged from behind a corner.

"In your dreams." Claudia smirked. Cassandra took few quick steps towards Claudia, grabbed her by the hair and pulled with all the force she had.

"Used to be easier with the ponytail, didn't it?" Claudia said through gritted teeth, determined not to show just how much pain she was in.

"You insolent little bitch." Cassandra hissed and raise her hand to strike Claudia across the face. But this time, Claudia was quicker. She grabbed her mother's arm and twisted it. Cassandra winced with pain.

"I'm not going to let you hurt me anymore." Claudia hissed in Cassandra's face. Cassandra did not say anything. She looked horrified. "And don't even think about using magic to hurt me. You have no idea how much stronger I've gotten. I'd burn this fucking house down and I don't care if they expel me." Claudia added.

She did not even realise it until now. She was half an inch taller than her mother. And much stronger. She was not going to let Cassandra take out her insecurities and anger on her. Not anymore.

Claudia let go of her mother and slowly backed into her room. Cassandra did nothing. She just stood there. Still processing what just happened. Claudia bolted the door and pushed the dresser against it. It would not hold out for long, if they really tried to get in but it was as good as she could do without using magic. Claudia sat down on her bed, wand in hand, waiting. But no one came. Not after ten minutes or an hour. So, she got up and began to pack for school. She was still shaking. She never stood up to her mother like this before and had no idea why. It was suddenly so easy.

Claudia was nearly done emptying the contents of her wardrobe into her school trunk, when she stumbled upon the notebook she got from Sirius. Instantly, her hands became steadier. If he could stand up to his parents, she could do it too. She run her fingers on the binding and placed the notebook carefully in her trunk. She did not realise just how much she missed him. Not until she thought that he was gone, and she may never see him again. Maybe she could forgive him. Maybe she could be his friend after all.


	24. Chapter 24 (Alchemy)

**Alchemy**

"Miss Avery, a word." Said Professor Slughorn at the end of their first potions lesson.

"Congratulations on your exams." He smiled at Claudia, as she walked up to his desk at the front of the classroom. She had no idea what he could possibly want from her and it was bothering her. She just about managed to give him a brief smile back.

"And I saw you signed up for alchemy. We should have enough of you to be going ahead this year…" Slughorn added. Claudia was pleased. It was not often that enough students signed up for that class and almost always, it got cancelled as a result.

"Please, sit. Sit down." Slughorn mumbled and pointed to an empty chair. Claudia did she was told, becoming increasingly curious and uneasy as to what was going on.

"I got a letter from Parkinson here." Slughorn began and took out a piece of parchment from a drawer in his desk. "He says that Mr Black and Mr Cameron do not get on. And if one of them was to be captain of the Quidditch team, it would not be good for morale." Slughorn added.

"That's an understatement, Sir." Claudia chuckled. Anthony and Regulus had been at each other's throat since the latter joined the Quidditch team. "They hate each other. All hell would break loose." She added.

"It is all very difficult, very difficult indeed." Slughorn muttered and continued to stare at Parkinson's letter.

"Are you asking me which of them would make a better captain?" Claudia asked. Slughorn did not look at her but shook his head resolutely.

"I suppose, I am asking you…" Slughorn paused, clearly looking for the right words. "Parkinson says I should consider making you the captain."

"But?" Claudia asked, sensing just how uncomfortable Slughorn seemed about the suggestion.

"But… Are you sure you are up for it?" Slughorn asked, looking rather crimson.

"I think so." Claudia said. It would have been amazing. Literally, a dream come true.

"Could you cope with the pressure? The personalities? The emotions?" Slughorn kept going. "I mean, we never had this before… Do you think the boys would respect you?" He asked, finally. Suddenly, it was clear to Claudia. She had to bite her lip to stop herself yelling at Slughorn.

"Is this because I'm a girl?" Claudia asked, in the politest tone she could muster. An outburst was not likely to help her case. Slughorn looked bit embarrassed and nodded.

"Look, Sir. Would you hesitate to give me the captaincy if I was a guy?" She asked pointedly.

Slughorn looked uneasy but shook his head.

"Then, give me the captaincy." Claudia said resolutely.

"What about Mr Nott or Mr Rowle? Could one of them do it?" Asked Slughorn in a last-ditch attempt to avoid the inevitable.

"Frankly, Sir, Mr Rowle is a hot-headed idiot and Mr Nott…" Claudia hesitated. "Mr Nott is far too nice to do a good job of it." Slughorn was staring at her. There was a long pause. Very long pause. Claudia could hear the clock on Slughorn's wall tick as loudly as if they were church bells.

"Oh, go on then." He said, finally. Claudia exhaled and muttered a thank you. "You should start by organising the try-outs." Slughorn added, as Claudia stood up to leave.

"Would have never occurred to me…" She whispered under her breath and disappeared from the potions classroom before Slughorn changed his mind.

Claudia practically skipped back to the common room. She dreamed about this for years, but never did she think it would actually happen. Not only was she on the Slytherin team. They made her captain!

When Claudia made it back to the common room, she crashed into the sofa next to Julius, flung her arms around him and gave him a kiss. It was one of the real ones again.

"What did Slughorn say to make you this happy?" He chuckled.

"He put me in charge of the Quidditch team." Claudia beamed. Julius' eyes widened.

"I really thought it would be Anthony or Regulus." Julius muttered, still in disbelief.

"I suspect that was Slughorn's original plan. But it sounds like Parkinson told him that if either of those two got it, the team would fall apart." Claudia quipped.

"Parkinson recommended you?" Julius asked, there was just the tiniest hint of jealousy in his tone. Claudia could not care less at this point. She deserved it more than him.

"Yeah. It definitely wasn't Slughorn's idea. He didn't want me on the account that I have the wrong bits… Anatomically." Claudia smirked. Julius chuckled and hugged her again. He was getting over the initial shock and it looked like he might even be able to be proud of her.

"I don't think they are wrong." He whispered in her ear. It took Claudia by surprise. Julius was rarely funny, and she liked it when he was. She cuddled up to him and kissed him again.

"Regulus will have a breakdown." Julius added after a minute or two.

"I know. But I don't think we'll be able to find a better seeker…" Claudia sighed. "It's going to be a nightmare." She whispered and closed her eyes. Julius squeezed her tight.

"I'll help you manage it… Well, if you have me on the team." He said, suddenly sounding bit nervous.

"Well, that depends on how well you fly in the try-outs." Claudia chuckled. Julius clearly did not think that it was too funny. Claudia did not care too much, she knew it was hilarious. She freed herself from his embrace, took out a piece of parchment from her bag and wrote a notice about the Quidditch try-outs. She pinned it on the notice board.

Anthony came to congratulate her not five minutes later. He was all smiles, as per usual.

"I thought you'd have reservations. Given your views on the Hollyhead Harpies." Claudia laughed. Anthony went bright red.

"You'll never let me forget it, will you?" He asked. Claudia smirked and shook her head. "If it's any consolation, I grew out of that." Antony added.

"You're just saying it, so that I let you on the team, aren't you?" Claudia chuckled. That made Anthony laugh.

"There is no fooling you, is there? Exactly what we need from a captain..." He said and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you at the try-outs, boss." He added. So far, so good… Claudia thought to herself.

She sat down on the sofa opposite the notice board and took out a book. She wanted to wait for Regulus to come back to the common room. She needed to see his reaction to understand just how badly he was going to take this. Half an hour later, she had her answer. Regulus saw the notice, cursed under his breath, and disappeared into the boy's dormitory without as much as a glance in her direction. She was not sure what bothered him more. The fact he was not the one who made captain, or the fact that Slughorn picked her.

"Should I go and talk to him?" Asked Julius.

"Give him a day or two. He'll come around." Claudia shook her head and said.

"He was bound to take it worse than Anthony…" Replied Julius. "Who, by the way, seems to have a soft spot for you." He added, sounding ever so slightly resentful again. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Anthony has a soft spot for everyone." There really was no need to be jealous. Her crush on Anthony felt like a lifetime ago.

There was no point even attempting to fall asleep that evening. Claudia knew she would not be able to do so. So, she took out a fresh notebook and wrote _'Slytherin Quidditch Team – 1976/77'_ on the cover. She turned over the page. It was time to start planning for the try-outs.

Even if she kept Regulus, Anthony, Julius and Rowle from last year, she would need to find at least one chaser and one beater to replace Parkinson and Burke. That in itself was no mean feat…

Moreover, she was never too keen on Rowle…

And who knew whether Regulus would be able to overcome his damaged ego and even go for it…

And she really needed Julius to perform in the try-outs. He was a good keeper but was occasionally prone to stupid mistakes. There was no way their relationship would survive if she did not pick him.

Claudia's mind kept buzzing about Quidditch all night. She needed something to distract her from it, and fast. Otherwise, there was real danger she would spontaneously combust.

Claudia was, therefore, very much looking forward to her first alchemy class. Finally, something exciting to help her forget Quidditch. She was on the way there when Julius caught up with her.

"Where are you off to?" She asked.

"Alchemy…" He replied, somewhat tentatively.

"Why do you want to take it? You hate potions." Claudia frowned.

"I don't hate potions. And alchemy could be interesting." Julius shrugged. "Besides, the Headmaster is going to teach half of it." He added.

They entered the small classroom. Just a handful of desks and only four other students were there. Claudia sat down next to Julius at one of the middle desks and looked around. Severus was sitting by himself at the back of the class, his nose already buried in the textbook. Lily, the annoying Gryffindor prefect, was sitting in the front making sure her quills were lined up perfectly. There were also couple of Ravenclaws that Claudia did not really know. She barely that Slughorn had emerged.

"Good to see you, Miss Evans." Slughorn smiled at Lily. He looked at a piece of parchment. "There should be eight of you. Let's give it another minute." He muttered. Before too long, the door to the classroom flung open and James and Sirius walked in.

Pretty much everyone present growled. Claudia was pretty sure she knew why Julius and Severus were upset by the sudden appearance of the two troublemakers, but she was not quite sure what caused the same reaction in the others.

Slughorn seemed completely oblivious to all the teenage drama happening under his nose and began running through the alchemy curriculum.

"There are four common aims of alchemy: transmutation of base metals into noble ones, the creation of an elixir of immortality, the creation of panaceas able to cure any disease, and the development of a universal solvent. In these lessons, we will attempt to…" Suddenly, Slughorn stopped and his eyes had lit up.

"This is perfect. There are four projects and eight of you. We can make it into a fun competition!" He exclaimed.

"Almost everyone is already in pairs… Miss Evans and Mr Snape. Would you mind pairing up together? This is perfect. Just perfect." Slughorn kept muttering.

Damned, Claudia thought. Severus and Lily were going to be strong. Based on their potions results, she could probably take them on individually, but both of them together… Her and Julius did not stand a chance. He only passed his potions OWL because Slughorn took pity on him.

As Claudia contemplated her inevitable loss, she caught James' expression in the corner of her eyes. He looked disgusted and was whispering something to Sirius. It looked like he was imploring, even begging, him to do something. Claudia had no clue what this was about. It looked like Sirius finally relented, and lazily raised his hand.

"Professor Slughorn, Sir." He said in his most charming voice. He was up to something. It was not normal for him to be this pleasant to any authority figure.

"We all love the idea of a competition, but we all know who is going to win if Evans and Snape are working together. Sort of defeats the point." Sirius said.

"You may have a point Mr Black, they are both outstanding. Some of the best I've ever seen." Slughorn said and smiled at Lily again. "What do you suggest?" He added.

"I think we should draw lots. We each put our name in a cauldron and take it from there." Sirius replied, grinning. Slughorn clapped with excitement.

Julius grumbled something incomprehensible, but like everybody else, he too took out a quill and wrote his name down on a spare bit of parchment. Slughorn waved his wand, and all their names flew into his cauldron at the front.

"Let's see. The pair that will be working on the metal transmutation." Slughorn said and sunk his hand into the cauldron to draw the first pair. "Mr Nott and Mr Green."

Julius sighed. Claudia had the distinct feeling that he only took this class to spend time with her. And spending hours with Green on metal transmutation was not what he thought he signed up to.

Snape was paired up with the other Ravenclaw to work on the elixir of immortality.

"Now. The panacea." Said Slughorn and sunk his hand into the cauldron. "Miss Evans and…" Claudia bit her lip. Not her, just not her. "Mr Potter." Slughorn added. Lily's mouth had narrowed to the point it nearly disappeared. She was clearly not happy about this.

This left the universal solvent to Claudia and Sirius… She looked at him. He was little too obviously avoiding her eye and looked rather smug and pleased with himself. Claudia did not even dare to look at Julius. She knew full well how he was going to feel about this.

Some people got up and began to move around, both Claudia and Julius stayed in their chairs. Sirius approached their desk and gestured at Julius to get out of his seat.

"I'm not moving." Julius hissed at him.

"Fuck off, Nott. Rules are rules." Replied Sirius and folded his arms across his chest. Julius still did not move. Claudia was sure that if it was not for Slughorn, they would have a fight there and then.

"I'm sure if I ask Slughorn, he'd let us work together." Julius said hopefully in Claudia's direction.

"Come on class, let's start." Slughorn said impatiently.

"Can you just stop embarrassing me and move?" Claudia whispered impatiently towards Julius… She was sure that this drama was not going to improve her already fragile standing with her Head of House.

"I don't want you to work with him." Julius whispered back.

"It's just a project." Claudia began to explain but stopped herself. She should not have to explain or apologise. This was not her doing. "And besides, you don't own me." She added, icily. Julius still hesitated.

"Just move, please." Claudia said again. Julius stood up and moved away to sit with his new partner. He was clearly livid.

"This was your doing, wasn't it?" Claudia whispered towards Sirius as he sat down next to her.

"Prove it." He whispered back. Claudia was not going to relent quite so easily.

"But why? For a joke? Are you trying to make Julius's head explode?" She was muttering at Sirius at such speed, which did not really give him much opportunity to respond.

"You were going to lose with him against Snivellus and Evans." Sirius smirked. "Now, you got a chance." He added. Claudia growled. It was annoying how well he knew her.

"With you? Like you are going to do any work..." She replied, irritated.

"I'll have you know that I can be quite brilliant." Sirius said, cheekily.

"You better be. I'll murder you if you mess this up for me." She hissed back at him. But the corner of her mouth was twitching. There was no way she could pretend to be mad at him for much longer.

"Yes ma'am…" Sirius said.

Claudia burst out laughing. She just could not help it anymore. This was just like the old days. She glanced at Julius. If looks could kill, Sirius would drop dead right there.

The class was over and Claudia and Sirius were both packing away their things, while Julius was waiting impatiently at their desk.

"Should we start on the essay tonight?" Sirius asked.

"Maybe. I'll let you know." Claudia replied and made a gesture to imitate writing. She was glad she took the two-way notebook with her. It was going to come in handy. Julius reached out for Claudia's hand and they walked out the classroom together. He barely said a word on the way back to the common room. Or the rest of the day for that matter.

As the evening approached, Claudia was sitting on the sofa, watching Julius at the other end of it. He was still frowning. She took out the notebook and scribbled.

_"Can't do tonight. Sorry. Tomorrow during the free period?" _

She closed the notebook and sighed. It was hard enough thinking about Sirius as just a friend. She did not need all this drama on top of that.

Mercifully, the Quidditch try-outs had finally arrived. Claudia was desperate for them to break the awkwardness between her and Julius. So, she decided to do the keepers try-out first. Luckily for her, Julius flew cut above the rest and she could pick him instantly to help her with the rest of the day. Next up, seekers.

"Want to go on a date, Avery? Seems to guarantee a place on the team these days…" Regulus quipped as he walked up to her.

"Shut up and fly." Claudia replied without looking away from the piece of parchment that had all the names of the aspiring seekers. As expected, none of them were anywhere near Regulus' quality. She had no choice but to keep him on the team.

With the seeker sorted, Claudia and Julius were standing on the edge of the stadium, watching the chasers fly.

"Rowle isn't that great, is he?" She leaned over to Julius and whispered.

"He is not…" Julius muttered in response.

"And I think Emmanuel and that Greeggrass girl are flying better than him." Claudia said.

"Manny, absolutely. Creusa, not so sure. Plus, we cannot have two new chasers. It would be chaos." Julius replied. Claudia hated that he was right.

"Fine. Emmanuel and Rowle it is… But one misstep by either of them and Creusa is in." Claudia growled.

"Hey! Avery! Who are these amateurs? When are the real players getting here?" Claudia turned around and saw James Potter, sitting in the stands watching them. She rolled her eyes and turned back.

"What's he doing here?" She asked, more to complain than anything else.

"They made him Gryffindor captain. He's going to be even more insufferable than usual." Julius replied.

"What? You've got to be kidding me…" Claudia rolled her eyes, remembering all to well that after the last game her and James played against each other, she ended up in the hospital wing.

"Beaters, line up!" She yelled at the rest of the players. Maybe one of them will miss the target and hit Potter straight between the eyes. Merlin knows, he deserved it.

The choice of beaters was very straightforward. Anthony was his usual brilliant self and so was his younger brother Chris. Claudia was glad, with Rowle, Regulus and Emmanuel on the team already, she had plenty of difficult characters to deal with. Anthony and Chris would be a good antidote.

"Right… Nott. Black. Rowle. Callahan. Cameron. And Cameron…" She shouted across the pitch. "Practice. Tomorrow at six." It felt good to be in charge. Claudia could not wait to put them through their paces.

Few days after the Quidditch try-outs, Claudia was walking to the Great Hall from her Charms lesson, when she found herself face to face with Alice. They have not spoken all summer.

"Hello." Alice said, awkwardly.

"Hi." Claudia responded, looking at her feet.

"Claudia. This is getting silly." Alice whispered as Claudia took a step away from here.

"I know." She replied.

"I'm just worried about you." Alice added.

"I know…" Claudia did not know what else to say. "Lunch in the courtyard?" She added in the hope that would make all of this less weird. Alice nodded and they set off. Together again.

"I saw you and Sirius in the library the other day." There was distinct disapproval in Alice's voice.

"We were just doing an essay together. I got saddled with him in Alchemy." Claudia replied.

"You seemed to be having a lot of fun…" Alice said.

"It's just homework." Claudia insisted. She did, however, avoided Alice's eye as she said that.

"Be careful." Alice was not letting this go.

"Just homework, Alice. I promise…" Claudia reiterated.

"Right…" Alice did not look convinced in the slightest.

But they did not get into the Great Hall or the courtyard. Not even halfway there, they bumped into Sirius. He was holding up a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand and looked absolutely beside himself.

"What is this?" He asked Claudia, holding up the front page. _'No new evidence in the Hogsmeade Murder.'_ Read the headline. Claudia sighed. So, he did figure it out. She was only surprised that it took him this long.

"Not here." Claudia whispered and dived for the nearest door. Thankfully, it was just some old storage cupboard and it was empty… Both Alice and Sirius followed her in.

"Pale corpse? Seen wondering around? You knew all along that it was him, didn't you? And you still went back there!" Sirius roared at Claudia. "And you let her?" He added, turning to Alice.

Claudia squinted. This was going to be very bad indeed.

"She didn't know." Claudia whispered, wishing that the ground would just swallow her, and she did not have to deal with the inevitable.

"You didn't tell her about the crup?!" Sirius barked. He looked furious. "And your stupid boyfriend? Did you tell him?" He added.

"That's none of your business!" Claudia hit back. It did not help. Sirius knew full well what the answer was.

"I cannot believe you! You promised me that you'd be careful!" He yelled.

"I don't know why you suddenly care." Claudia smirked. Sirius growled.

"I almost forgot how impossibly stubborn you are!" He scoffed.

"I am stubborn? What about you…?" Claudia shouted back at him.

"Shut up. Both of you!" Alice screamed.

It made Claudia jump. Alice never yelled at her before. It clearly had the same effect on Sirius. They both stared at her in complete silence. You could hear the pin drop.

"Will one of you tell me what's going on?" Alice asked, impatiently. Claudia looked to the floor. She could not.

"This murder in Hogsmeade." Sirius said pointing at the papers. "It was her wretched brother…" Claudia did not dare look at Alice. Sirius continued. "And she knew all along. And still went home, without telling anyone."

Claudia finally summoned enough courage to look at Alice, who too looked absolutely furious. Claudia wanted to say she had to. That she had no choice. But she did not get there.

"I can't do this. It's like this every single time. I can't be your friend if you keep lying to me." Alice said.

"Alice, I can explain…" Claudia muttered. But Alice interrupted her.

"And that's the problem. You can always explain. But you can never regret it or just bloody apologise. I'm done…" Alice said, turned on her heel and stormed out of the.

"I just wanted to protect you." Claudia said meekly towards the closed door. She kept staring at it, expecting Alice to come back. To say that she did not mean it. But the door stayed shut. Slowly, Claudia could feel she was welling up.

"Why are you still here? Haven't you done enough damage already?" She lashed out at Sirius, in the hope that it might stop the tears. She really did not want to cry about this. Not in front of him anyway. But Sirius did not move an inch.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He was not yelling anymore. He looked hurt.

That broke Claudia's resolve completely and she began to sob.

"I wanted to… But you were gone." She whispered.

Sirius slowly raised his arms and put his hands on Claudia's shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I'm here now." He whispered back.

Claudia did not even think what she was doing. She took a step or two towards Sirius and buried her face in his chest. He closed his arms around her. All her anxiety was gone in an instant. For that one brief moment, all was good with the world.

"We'll get him, I promise you." Sirius whispered in her ear and squeezed her even tighter.

"Is this going to happen every time we come back to school?" Claudia quipped, trying to dry her eyes.

"What is going to happen?" Sirius asked.

"Me, sobbing on your shoulder in some dumb cupboard." Claudia replied. Sirius chuckled.

"Now, tell me what you dug out." He said, as he let her go and sat down on the floor.

"What do you mean?" She asked and sat down next to him.

"I presume, you spied on them when you were back?" Sirius smirked. Claudia smiled at him. How much did she miss this… She told him everything. About her visit to the Daily Prophet offices. About what she saw in the Auror's Office.

"Did he have the look of someone who spends most of the day drinking?" Sirius piped up, when she mentioned the picture of the man she saw on the board. Claudia nodded.

"Someone who you know would be able to sell you all sorts of dodgy merchandise?" Claudia nodded again. How did he know?

"I know who he is." Sirius smiled.

"What?" Claudia sat up straight. All her woes pretty much forgotten.

"Remember when I got those highly valuable potions ingredients back in our fourth year? And I said I knew a guy?" Sirius asked. Claudia remembered all too well.

"That was him?" She asked. "I have to talk to him… Do you know how to contact him?" She added before Sirius had a chance to respond. He nodded. Claudia smiled at him. She forgot how useful he could be. If he was half this useful in Alchemy, no one else stood a chance.

They sat in silence for a while.

"Where were you anyway? At the end of last year?" Claudia asked, finally. Sirius' demeanour had changed instantly and a very large shadow crossed his face.

"I did something very very stupid… Got sent home. Now, I got detention till Christmas." He whispered. The haunted look he had when she saw him in the summer was back.

She was right not to listen to the wild rumours. It was just detention! Claudia thought to herself.

"Even more stupid than usual?" She followed up.

"So much more stupid than usual…" Sirius sighed.

But before either of them could say any more, the school bell rang.

"We should go." Said Claudia and jumped up. Sirius chuckled.

"What?!" Claudia asked defensively.

"You're more scared of the school bell than you're of a couple of Death Eaters. You're so weird. I missed that." Sirius said, shaking his head. Claudia chuckled.

"Friends again?" She asked, hopefully.

"Friends again..." Sirius replied and squeezed her shoulder.

Oh boy, Claudia thought as that touch sent shivers down her spine. Any physical contact with him still made her tremble. This was going to be hugely uncomfortable. But it was a price she was willing to pay to count him as her friend again.


	25. Chapter 25 (Mundungus Fletcher)

**Mundungus Fletcher**

Claudia and Sirius spent a lot of time together over the next few weeks. They worked on the alchemy project and try to make up for all the time they missed when they were not speaking. Late one evening, they were sitting in the library again, buried under an enormous pile of alchemy books. Their first alchemy essay was due the next day, and they just spent three hours trying to research cauldrons that would hold the universal solvent without disintegrating. Nothing they found seemed good enough.

Claudia was desperate to do well in alchemy and was getting frustrated with the lack of progress. This was not just about beating the others in the competition. The Headmaster was going to take the class through the rest of the term, and Claudia was dying to impress him. Professor Dumbledore was a respected and powerful wizard, and his word would go a long way in helping her case to become an auror. And next year, he would be the one to choose who the new Head Boy and Head Girl were going to be. A lot was riding on this essay.

"Got it!" Exclaimed Sirius so suddenly that he made Claudia jump. "We just use a magical force field, rather than a cauldron!" He explained.

"Do you know how to create a magical force-field?" Claudia asked, sceptically. Her eyes were getting rather heavy and she just could not match Sirius' enthusiasm. Especially not for an idea that was so random.

"Be right back." He said, jumped up from the chair and run off to a different aisle of the library. Claudia had to smile. He really was trying so hard to do well.

Sirius was back in less than a minute, holding an enormous volume under his arm. He plonked it on the table in front of Claudia.

"Here." He whispered and leaned over her shoulder to point at a chapter about spells that could contain substances in mid-air.

Claudia picked up her wand and muttered the incantation. The air in front of her swirled for a bit, but that was it. Claudia turned to Sirius, who was still leaning over her shoulder to read the book. One of his arms was planted on the desk, the other rested on the back of Claudia's chair. It was very distracting.

"We need something to contain to see if it really works." She said, struggling to keep her eyes off his lips.

"This will do." Sirius smirked and picked up an ink bottle from the table and took a few steps away from the library books and their homework.

"Ready?" Sirius asked and drizzled the ink out of the bottle.

He took Claudia by surprise. She jumped up from her chair and muttered the incantation again. Mercifully, it worked! The ink stopped falling in mid-air and swirled around like it was being poured into an invisible vase.

"Do you think it will hold if I stop focusing on it?" Claudia asked tentatively.

"There is only one way to find out." Sirius smirked.

"We really didn't think this through…" Claudia sighed and slowly lowered her wand. But she should not have. The moment she did that, the ink resumed its path towards the floor. Sirius did his best to catch it with the bottle but failed miserably. He was covered in ink and so was the library floor. Claudia could not help but snigger.

"Oi!" Sirius chuckled. He lifted one of his ink-covered hands and before Claudia could react and move away, he smudged her forehead with his finger.

"You'll pay for this." Claudia hissed jokingly, dunked her hand into the ink on the floor and stretched to reach Sirius' face. But he was prepared and caught her wrist. She tried to free herself from his grip, but it was pointless. He was much stronger. They looked into each other's eyes and burst out laughing.

"What are you two doing here?" They heard the stern voice of Madam Pince. "What is all this ink? Clean it up!"

"Sorry, Madam Pince. An accident." Claudia mumbled and jumped away from Sirius. She could feel Sirius' grip on her wrist loosen. His hand travelled across her palm and then her fingers. It seemed to have taken an age before he let go of her.

"_Scourgify." _Claudia cleared her throat, pointing her wand at the floor and her hands. The ink faded.

"Teenagers." Madame Pince shook her head in disapproval and disappeared again.

Claudia sat back down at the desk.

"That might need some work." She sighed as Sirius joined her. She did not like being told off. Sirius chuckled.

"I'm sure there will be a way to make the field more stable." She continued. Sirius chuckled some more.

"But it will be tricky. We need to find something that will hold up for months." She added. Sirius was now laughing openly.

"What's so funny? I'm not wrong!" Claudia barked. Getting this field stabilised was no laughing matter.

"Sorry. I can't take you seriously. Not like this." Sirius quipped. He lifted his hand towards Claudia's face and wiped her forehead with his shirtsleeve. At first, Claudia did not understand what he was doing. Then she remembered the ink mark. She could not help but smile.

"Right. Back to the essay…" Sirius uttered when he lowered his hand. Claudia watched him pick up his quill and resume working on the conclusion. She could not remember whether she had ever seen him concentrate so hard. Despite that, it still took them right until curfew to finish the essay.

"I still can't believe we got landed with the solvent. All the other things could make you so rich." Sirius muttered as they were packing away their things.

"You're rich already." Claudia quipped.

"My parents don't exactly shower me with money anymore. I'm broke." Sirius replied.

"Is that why you're single? For the first time ever?" Claudia chuckled.

"That's _exactly _why…" Sirius smirked. "Take the money away and no one will date me." He added.

"I wouldn't worry." Claudia grinned.

"Wouldn't you?" Asked Sirius with a wry smile.

"No. The solvent is every crook's dream." Claudia replied. "It can break potions into components. The counterfeiters would put all the legit potioneers out of business within days." She added as she opened the door to the library.

"I'm so glad you are on our side. You would make one scary Death Eater." Sirius said, shaking his head. Despite the seriousness of the subject, Claudia had to laugh.

"Night Avery." Sirius added. It was time to go to bed.

"Night." Claudia whispered back. She walked back to the dungeons a lot slower than she usually did. She felt happy. For the first time in a very long time, she felt happy.

But that mood did not last long. As Claudia walked through the common room door, she spotted Julius sitting in an armchair, scowling at her.

"Where were you?" He barked.

"Good evening to you too." Claudia replied and sat down in the armchair opposite. Julius said nothing, so she continued. "Finishing the damn alchemy essay. Weren't you?"

"Green wanted to do it by himself." Julius muttered. That explained his mood, Claudia thought. He was always tetchy about his academic credentials. The fact that Green would rather do the essay alone must have hurt Julius' ego.

"And I don't see why you can't do it by yourself too, if Green can. Instead of spending time with _him_." Julius added, frowning even more. Claudia sighed. Maybe Julius' insecurities about his alchemic abilities were not the reason he was upset after all. Maybe it was about different sort of insecurities altogether. Claudia thought this was very unfair. It was not as if she was trying to get back with Sirius. If anything, she was spending most of her energy doing the exact opposite.

"I want to win. And I need all the help I can get." Claudia replied after a long pause.

"Whatever." Julius uttered. "I'm going to bed." He added, got up and stormed out of the common room.

Claudia leaned back into the armchair and closed her eyes. She had absolutely no idea why everyone around her was so desperate to date. Her first attempt at it ended in tears. And the second one was just such hard work! And what for? Other than Quidditch, they barely had anything interesting to talk about. They tried having sex few more times since the first time they did it in the summer, but it was not any better. Claudia felt as if Julius was trying hard to make the whole thing more romantic, but just made it even weirder for both of them.

I really ought to break up with him. Put us both out of their misery, Claudia thought as she got up and dragged herself to bed.

As she was lying there, staring at the canopy above her bed, she remembered what happened in the library earlier. She looked at her fingers and touched them in the same way that Sirius did. She could feel her spine tingle.

Pathetic, she thought. She just could not have Sirius know that she still had a crush on him. It was pitiful, and she would do anything to keep that deeply embarrassing truth to herself. And if being with Julius was what it took to keep herself from doing anything stupid, then that was what she was going to do. With that plan on her mind, she fell asleep.

Over the next few days, Claudia tried very hard to focus on her homework and Quidditch and ignore them both as much as she could. And she was doing very well too, at least until Sirius tapped on her shoulder on their way from Dark Arts one day.

"He'll meet us. Three o'clock on Saturday. Hogsmeade weekend. In the station waiting room." He whispered in Claudia's ear and run off again. Finally, Claudia thought. Finally, Marcus will get what he deserves.

On Saturday, Claudia shook off Julius and her friends and made her way towards Hogsmeade station. Sirius was already there, sitting on the railing in front of the waiting room.

"You're late." Sirius smirked and jumped down from the railings. Claudia looked at her watch. It was not even a minute past three.

"I'm very much on time…" She replied. "Is he here?"

Sirius shook his head and pointed towards the building. They entered it together.

"Dung will be here soon. He's a crook. But a punctual one." Sirius whispered and dropped to one of the benches that were lining the walls of the tiny waiting room.

"Dung?" Claudia asked, somewhat dubiously, and sat down next to Sirius.

"It's short for Mundungus." Sirius chuckled. "Don't ask me why he calls himself that."

Suddenly, Claudia heard a loud pop and a small unkempt wizard had materialised in the corner of the room. He was just as she remembered from the picture she saw in the Ministry of Magic. She jumped to her feet and so did Sirius, who walked across the room to greet Mundungus.

"Dung, mate." Sirius said jovially and shook his hand. But Mundungus was not returning the pleasantries.

"Who's this?" He barked towards Claudia.

"A friend." Sirius replied calmly.

"Got Ministry on my heels, mate." Mundungus said. "Got to be careful." Claudia could not help but notice that he was looking around nervously.

"Trust me, Dung. It's ok." Sirius continued to reassure him.

Mundungus growled, took out a filthy-looking bag from his coat and chucked it over to Sirius.

"Enjoy your Birthday, mate!" He smirked. Of course. Claudia thought. She almost forgot that Sirius was turning seventeen in few weeks.

Sirius took out a sizeable bag of gold from his pocket. He clearly was not as broke as he led Claudia to believe.

"One more thing, Dung… My friend wanted to ask you a few questions." He said and closed both of his hands around the money bag. The gesture was obvious. Mundungus was not getting the money yet.

Mundungus suddenly looked like a rabbit that had sensed a predator. He clutched his wand and pointed it at Sirius.

"Calm down, Dung. It's just a couple of questions." Sirius barked. Mundungus did not look too convinced, but lowered his wand. He did not, however, put it back into his robes.

"On the night of the murder…" Claudia began to say, but Mundungus interrupted her.

"How does she know?" He hissed in Sirius' direction.

"Doesn't matter." Claudia replied, sharply. It annoyed her that Mundungus did not speak to her directly. "On the night of the murder, did you see anyone else? Other than the corpse?" She continued.

Mundungus hesitated for a bit. Claudia noticed that Sirius was not so subtly playing with the bag of gold. She could hear the coins move about and got a distinct impression that Mundungus heard it too.

"Maybe." He whispered.

"Can you describe them?" Claudia asked.

"Tall bloke." Mundungus said, glancing at the gold again. "Light brown hair. Bit older than you two. And about as _posh_." He added, with a distinct tone of disgust in his voice. That sounded like Marcus, Claudia thought.

"Where did you see him?" Claudia continued. Mundungus swallowed hard and looked around again. This time, he was glancing towards the door.

"By the alleyway where they found the body…" He whispered.

"Would you recognise him if you saw him again?" Claudia followed-up. She was so close. She could feel it.

Mundungus nodded and turned towards Sirius.

"The gold mate, now." He barked.

Sirius looked at Claudia. She nodded, and he tentatively handed the gold over. Mundungus ripped the bag open and started to count the coins.

"I need you to repeat all of this to the aurors." Claudia whispered.

"No chance." Mundungus smirked.

"Please, the bloke you saw is dangerous." Claudia pleaded with him, but Mundungus did not move a muscle. She was becoming increasingly desperate. "It was Marcus Avery, my brother. And he is a Death Eater that needs to be stopped." She added.

Claudia did not think Mundungus could move this fast. Before she knew it, he was pointing his wand at them again and was also holding something dark and round in his hand.

"Get out of here." Mundungus' angry voice echoed through the ticket hall.

"Come on, Dung." Sirius said through gritted teeth. "No need to get violent." This did nothing to calm Mundungus down.

"Take your girlfriend and go." Mundungus barked. Claudia lost her patience with him.

"Look. You can either tell the Ministry. Or I will tell my brother you did!" She yelled at him.

Mundungus did not respond. He pulled something that looked like a pin out of the black object and threw it in their direction. Sirius grabbed Claudia's arm and started to back out of the room. The black ball was spinning on the ground, emitting a hissing noise. It was getting louder and louder. As if pressure was building inside it.

Sirius jumped in between Claudia and the hissing ball and pressed her head into his chest. A fraction of a second later, Claudia understood why. There was a loud bang and a lot of dark smoke.

"Fuck!" Sirius hissed and winced with pain. Something had hit him.

"Are you ok?" Claudia asked, barely able to speak. Sirius was holding her that tight.

"Yeah." Sirius whispered as the smoke slowly disappeared. Claudia had to stand on her tiptoes to peak over Sirius' shoulder. Mundungus was gone and bits of the ceiling had come down. It was a rather large piece of plaster that hit Sirius.

"You're bleeding". Claudia whispered as she noticed blood soaking through Sirius' shirt. His shoulder was injured. Sirius let go of her and touched the wound with his fingertips.

"It's nothing." He said as he examined his blood-stained fingers.

"Sit down and let me have a look." Claudia insisted.

Sirius sat down on the floor, grumbling something about an overreaction. He did, however, undid few buttons of this shirt. Claudia kneeled next to him and slipped the fabric from his shoulder to take a better look. Her hand shook as she did that. Never before did she touch his bare skin quite like this.

There was a small gash on the back of Sirius' shoulder. Claudia was no healer, but even she could fix that.

"I bought this earlier. It will help." She whispered, dug out a vial of Murtlap essence from her bag and carefully administered a few drops on the wound and waited.

The wound began to close, but Claudia barely noticed. She could not stop looking at her fingers. They were resting on Sirius' shoulder. The urge to caress his bare skin was overwhelming.

"You've got goosebumps." Claudia chuckled as she tried to distract herself and come back to reality.

"Well, it bloody stings." Sirius winced.

"It not supposed to." Claudia said, frowning and re-reading the instructions on the Murtlap essence vial.

"Well, it does…" He barked.

Claudia blew on the wound to dry out the excess extract.

"You don't have to keep rescuing me, you know." She whispered. "The thing would have missed us both." She added, finally managing to let go of him. She instinctively closed her hands together, as if she was trying to preserve his touch for just that little longer.

"Simple 'thank you' would have been sufficient… For once." Sirius muttered, sounding somewhat frustrated, and pulled his shirt back up to cover himself. Mundungus running away like that obviously got to him.

"Sorry, if my insistence to stop a murderer cost you your source of illegal goodies." Claudia replied sarcastically. He had no right to jumping into danger like that and then whinging he got hurt.

"I could have told you he'd get spooked if you mentioned the Ministry." Sirius frowned at her.

"Why didn't you, then?" Claudia shrugged.

"Because you never listen to me anyway." Sirius replied. Claudia had had enough. That was not fair in the slightest. He was the only person she occasionally did listen to.

"I have to go." Claudia said, looking at her watch. She was not sure why she did that. She had nowhere to be. But she knew that if she stayed there a minute longer, she would either have to kiss him or yell at him. And neither of those were good options.

Claudia and Sirius barely said a word to each other ahead of the next alchemy lesson. Claudia walked into the classroom with Julius. They were bickering over something again. Claudia did not even know how it started this time. It was probably because she was studying too much, or not making enough time for him, or most likely both.

Claudia dropped in the seat next to Sirius and sighed when she saw his face. He was clearly not over their argument.

"I can't cope with another telling off. Can you please save yours for another day?" She whispered.

"Boyfriend giving you grief?" Sirius asked, his expression somewhat softer.

"Still got absolutely nothing on you in that department..." Claudia replied.

Sirius took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. For the whole thing." He whispered. Claudia looked up at him. This was the first time he apologised over the Christmas fiasco.

"It's ok… Friends again, remember?" She said, giving Sirius an encouraging smile. He smiled back and opened his mouth to say something but did not get a chance.

The door to the classroom flung open and Professor Dumbledore strolled in. It was the best lesson Claudia could remember ever getting at Hogwarts. And she was not the only one who thought that. The entire class watched Professor Dumbledore in awe as he recalled his attempts to make a Philosopher's Stone. Claudia was vigorously scribbling everything he said.

"Do you know what I've heard about him?" Sirius whispered to Claudia. She shushed him. This was no time for gossip.

"I've heard that he's quite involved in the fight against You-Know-Who." Sirius did not relent.

"Really?" Claudia whispered back in astonishment, forgetting for a moment that she was trying to make a good impression on Professor Dumbledore.

"Apparently." Sirius whispered knowingly. "He's heading up some sort of a secret society."

"Secret society?" Claudia said a lot louder than she wanted to. Professor Dumbledore stopped talking.

"Anything you two wanted to share?" He asked calmly. Claudia went bright red.

"No. Just planning the next essay, Sir. Sorry." She mumbled at speed. No secret society was worth getting into trouble with the Headmaster.

November had arrived and with it, the first Quidditch game of the season. Every time Claudia thought about it, her stomach turned violently. The captaincy was taking a toll.

But first, there was a small matter of Sirius' Birthday. She wrecked her brain about a present. Turning seventeen was a huge deal, so it had to be meaningful. But it could not be too personal. She could not ever let him guess how she really felt about him. Not if she wanted them to stay friends.

But she just could not think of anything sufficiently fitting and gave up. So, she just picked out a card and began writing him a message instead. It was lame, but she just had nothing better.

_"Happy Birthday!_

_There is nothing that I can give you that would live up to this day. I cannot begin to imagine how happy you must feel. All your life… Waiting for this moment. To be free._

_Claude"_

She looked over the words of the card; they were unusually poetic for her. Then she remembered. She heard these words before in the hair salon in Winchester. There was a song playing on the radio.

Claudia spent the next two days trying to figure out what song it was. It bugged her to no end that she could not remember more of it. The record would make the best present for Sirius. Eleanor was of no use, and neither were her other muggle-born friends.

Claudia was nearly out of time when she remembered the Muggle Music class. The teacher will know and might even have it. She sprinted to the classroom as fast as she could. She did not even finish recalling everything she remembered about the song before the teacher dug out a tape from her cupboard and put it into a machine. Claudia saw one of these things in Eleanor's house.

The esoteric tones of the song filled out the classroom. Claudia closed her eyes and listened intently.

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these sunken eyes and learn to see_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to be free_

_Blackbird fly, blackbird fly_

_Into the light of a dark black night_

_Blackbird fly, blackbird fly_

_Into the light of a dark black night_

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

"This is it. Do you know where I can get a copy?" Claudia whispered. "By tomorrow?" She added tentatively.

"I'll make you one. It's a song by the Beatles." The teacher smiled at her. She pressed few buttons on her machine and barely two minutes later, handed a copied tape to Claudia. It was proper Muggle magic.

Armed with the card and the present, Claudia caught Sirius on their way to potions the following day.

"Happy Birthday". She said cheerfully and handed him the package.

"But I didn't give you anything this year." Sirius smirked as he unwrapped it. That made Claudia laugh.

"I really don't blame you for that." She quipped, remembering that her birthday was around that horrible Hufflepuff game. "I did land your girlfriend in the hospital wing." She added. She could not quite tell which of them seemed more embarrassed by that memory.

Sirius opened the envelope. Claudia watched his eyes travel across the card.

"You're the only one who really gets it." He whispered and gave her one of those rare sad smiles. It was moments like these when he really let his cool bad-boy facade drop.

"I counted it last night." Claudia uttered. "Hundred and eighty-nine days." It was just hundred and eighty-nine days until she turned seventeen.

They stared awkwardly at each other for a moment.

"Avery! Is the practice still starting in twenty minutes?" Someone yelled from behind her.

"Coming!" She replied absentmindedly, still looking at Sirius. "I have to go… Hope you like the song." She whispered and turned to walk away.

"Claude." Sirius said. Claudia stopped in her tracks and looked back towards him. "You'll get there. And when you do, we'll celebrate… Properly." There was another one of those sad smiles.

"I'll hold you to that." Claudia muttered and run off to the Quidditch pitch. She had to get him out of her head. The practice was important. The first Quidditch game was at the weekend. They were up against James Potter and his Gryffindor rabble.

The team was shaping up brilliantly. Regulus may have been an annoyance, but he was a great seeker. Julius was having one of his good spells. And Emmanuel and Chris were settling well into the team. Claudia was very confident going into the first game. And almost rightly so. Slytherin absolutely wiped the floor with Gryffindor in the field, but Regulus made few mistakes and the Gryffindor seeker managed to catch the snitch before him. Even though Gryffindor only won by sixty points and everything was still to play for, Claudia was furious. She hated defeat.

The usual after-party in the common room was not exactly boisterous. The team was just chilling together. Claudia was sitting next to Julius, his arm wrapped around her.

"I think we need a new strategy." Regulus said grumpily. He was now on his fourth butterbeer and his grumblings were getting a lot louder.

"The strategy is fine. We just got unlucky." Claudia replied with a slight frown. She was not looking forward to what was going to come next.

"Unlucky." Regulus scoffed. "There is no such thing as luck in Quidditch. Just fuck-ups."

"Reg, no one blames you." Claudia whispered in his direction. She was trying very hard to keep her cool. She was the captain. She needed to be the bigger person here.

"Yeah. I've messed up the Ravenclaw game last year." Julius pitched in. "And as for the Hufflepuff game…" He added and looked at Claudia.

"As for the Hufflepuff game, we could have all done better." Claudia finished Julius' thought.

"Right." Regulus scoffed. "Except I'm better than all of you. I don't make mistakes." Claudia had had enough of him.

"You aren't perfect. And the sooner you admit it, the sooner we can all focus on the next game." She barked at him.

Regulus placed his butterbeer on the coffee table with such force that his bottle had shattered.

"I'm not going to be lectured by someone like you…" He hissed at Claudia and stormed out. The rest of the team were looking at each other aghast.

"Anyway…" Claudia said and stood up. "I'm off to bed."

Julius began to get up as if he was going to walk her across the common room to her dormitory.

"You can stay. I'll be fine." Claudia said and patted Julius on the shoulder. He dropped back to the sofa. Claudia could just about see that he exchanged a significant look with Emmanuel. She hated the idea that the two of them would talk about her behind her back.

Few weeks have passed. The weather was miserable and so was Claudia. Mundungus was a dead end, and she had nothing on Marcus.

Despite what she pretended in front of the team; she was still upset by losing her first Quidditch game as captain.

And the bickering with Julius was now nearly constant. Nothing that she ever did was good enough. And she noticed more whispers between him and Emmanuel. This annoyed Claudia to no end.

But worst of all, it was nearly December and she would have to go back to London for Christmas. To spend weeks under the same roof as her so-called family.

To cope with the emotional turmoil all of this brought, she resorted to hiding from the world in the library again.

One night, she was on her way back to the common room, when a house-elf run in front of her, bowed and passed her a note.

It was addressed to '_Marcus Averys sister'_ in the messiest handwriting that Claudia had ever seen. She ripped it open.

_"I'll talk to Dumbledore. Nobody else. Bring gold. D."_

"Mundungus." She whispered to herself and broke into a huge grin. He had come through. Finally! Some good news. Marcus was going to pay for everything he had ever done to her.

Claudia began running to the dungeons to find her notebook and to tell Sirius the good news. He must have been right about Dumbledore and his secret society. There was no other reason why Mundungus would want to speak to the Hogwarts Headmaster rather than the aurors.

Claudia did not even get to the end of the corridor before she caught something, or rather someone, in the corner of her eye. A hooded figure lurking in the shadows.

Instantly, she felt pain.

The sharpest, most overwhelming pain she had ever felt.

She could hear her scream echo through the empty corridor and tumbled to the ground.

Everything went dark.


	26. Chapter 26 ('I Love You')

**'I Love You'**

Claudia was trying to open her eyes but could not. She could feel the cold, hard floor underneath her body. With her fingers, she could sense something warm and sticky. Someone was muttering an incantation. Maybe her attacker was still there. It took all of Claudia's strength just to open her eyes for a fraction of a second.

But it was not the hooded figure she glimpsed. It was Sirius. He was kneeling next to her, wand in hand, casting what looked like healing spells. Blood was dripping from his shirtsleeves. That could not have been good.

"What are you doing?" Claudia heard an angry female voice. She thought it sounded like Madame Pomfrey. There were footsteps. "Just keep doing that." The woman added. This time in a soft and worried tone.

"She sounds impressed." Claudia managed to whisper, with her eyes still closed. That took all of Claudia's energy. She lost consciousness again.

When Claudia woke up, she was in the hospital wing. Someone had drawn the curtains around her bed. There was a solitary armchair by the head of her bed and curled up in it was Sirius. He sat up straight and smiled when he noticed Claudia's eyes were open.

"What day is it?" Claudia whispered.

"Friday." Sirius replied. The relief on his face was palpable.

"It's been two days?" Claudia said, trying to sit up. Sirius put his hand on her shoulder.

"No, please don't do that." He whispered. "You've lost a lot of blood."

"Are you the matron now?" Claudia smirked but did as she was told.

"He might as well be. He's got genuine talent for healing." Claudia heard Madame Pomfrey's voice. She turned her head to see the matron. Julius was with her.

"What is he doing here?" Julius barked, as he lay his eyes on Sirius.

"I wouldn't take that tone." Madame Pomfrey frowned at him. "He saved her life."

Claudia had no idea where to look. It had only just hit her. She could have died. Why Julius thought this was the right time for a jealous outburst, she did not know. Sirius grudgingly stood up from the armchair and let Julius come closer to the bed.

"What happened?" Julius asked, somewhat more compassionately.

"I don't know." Claudia replied. "One minute I was walking back to the common room. The next, I woke up here."

"Why would anyone attack you?" Julius struggled to understand.

Claudia sighed. Now was the time to explain. But she just could not do it. It was too late. And Madame Pomfrey was listening.

"I don't know." Claudia whispered, doing everything she could to avoid looking at Sirius. She could practically feel his eyes bearing into her. Of course, he knew just as well as she did what happened. This was Marcus' revenge.

"It must have been a mistake." Julius said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Probably." Claudia whispered.

"Unless…" Julius began to say but stopped before finishing the sentence. He turned toward Sirius. "How did you find her so quickly?" He barked.

"What are you suggesting?" Sirius said with a frown and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm asking you." Julius squared up to him. "How did you find her so quickly?"

"You're off your head, Nott." Sirius hissed.

"Julius, please." Claudia pleaded with her boyfriend. "It wasn't him."

"You've always been blind to what he really is." Julius said angrily, turning back to his girlfriend. "An arrogant, self-centred bully."

Sirius sniggered. Julius' insult clearly did not get to him.

"Stop it. Both of you." Barked Madame Pomfrey. "Or I'll throw you out." But neither Julius nor Sirius paid the slightest attention to her.

"I never had you down as naïve." Julius continued in Claudia's direction. "It's so obvious that this is a part of some stupid prank. I don't understand that you can't see he's just using you."

Sirius leapt towards Julius. He must have touched a raw nerve.

"Shut the fuck up." He hissed and grabbed Julius by the collar. That was too much for Madame Pomfrey.

"Out!" She yelled. Sirius growled into Julius' face and let go of him so forcefully that the latter stumbled.

"But I didn't do anything." Julius began defending himself, but Madame Pomfrey did not relent. She pointed towards the hospital wing door.

"If I hear that you two have as much as looked at each other, I'll get you both expelled." She barked.

Claudia could not bear to look at either of them. She buried her face in her hands in embarrassment. She heard no more shouting or fighting and thus assumed that they both must have done as they were told and left.

"You're going to be fine." Madame Pomfrey whispered and began to exchange Claudia's bandages. "Except for the scars." The matron added. "I'm doing my best, but I'm not sure they will ever truly disappear. Done by some powerful magic, we think."

Claudia paid little attention to her. She did not really care about the scars. She was just so tired. Her brain was all jumbled, and she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Get some rest, dear." Madame Pomfrey must have noticed. She pulled the blanket over Claudia's chest and began to walk away. As she opened the curtains to leave her patient's bedside, Claudia glimpsed Sirius. He was sitting on the floor in the corner of the hospital wing, playing with his wand. His presence made Claudia feel somewhat safer. He was the only one who knew what really happened to her. And he was here to protect her. Not that she needed protecting. She must remember to tell him off later. Claudia chuckled to herself but could not fight the tiredness any longer. With a smile still on her face, she fell asleep.

Claudia woke up, hearing distant voices. It was Sirius arguing with someone. Claudia's heart skipped a beat when she recognised the second voice. It was Alice.

"I agree with you!" Sirius said angrily.

"You what?" Barked Alice.

"Of course, I do." Sirius replied impatiently. "She nearly died. She _has_ to tell someone."

"I can hear you two." Claudia tried saying as loudly as she could. She was finally coming back to her senses and had so many questions. How did Marcus get into the castle to attack her? Or did he have someone else do it? Where was the note from Mundungus?

Her train of thought got interrupted by Sirius and Alice walking through the curtains that still enclosed Claudia's bed. They were looking at each other, as if they were trying to decide who should speak first.

"You have to tell Dumbledore." Sirius whispered, but Claudia paid little attention. She knew he was right, but her mind was elsewhere.

"Where are my clothes?" She asked. "I got a note from Mundungus. He's ready to talk. It should be in my pocket. Unless…" Claudia did not even have to finish that sentence. Sirius grabbed the basket with her stuff from under the bed and rummaged through it.

"There is nothing here." He frowned. He was obviously thinking the same as Claudia. Mundungus was in danger. "I'll get Dumbledore." Sirius added, jumped up and run off.

Claudia and Alice were left alone, awkwardly staring at each other. It had been so long since they had spoken.

"I'm sorry." They said almost simultaneously. Alice burst into tears and hugged Claudia.

"Ouch. The scars." Claudia winced.

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again." Alice said and wiped her eyes.

"If I knew getting injured was all it took for you to forgive me, I'd get someone do it a long time ago." Claudia laughed and hugged her friend back.

"I even missed your horrible sense of humour." Alice laughed as they continued to embrace each other.

"Who's Mundungus?" Alice finally asked and slowly let go of her friend. Claudia had just about enough time to fill her in on the events of the Hogsmeade weekend before Professor Dumbledore walked into the hospital wing, closely followed by Sirius.

The three of them watched the Headmaster in complete silence as he took out his wand, produced two chairs out of mid-air, and slowly lowered himself on one of them. He gestured towards Alice to sit down on the other. Sirius plonked back into his armchair.

"Who wants to talk first?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the three of them from behind his tiny spectacles.

"Where do I even start?" Claudia sighed.

"The beginning, Miss Avery." Dumbledore said patiently. "The beginning."

So, Claudia began. She told him how she found out that Marcus was after the artefact, and how they found it and used an ancient spell to destroy it. She then went on to explain how they followed Marcus to figure out what other ways there were to create the inferi and saw him reanimate the crup.

It was hard enough, trying to recount the entire story and leave out all the instances where any of them broke the school rules. She was glad that Dumbledore listened intently and was not asking her any tough questions. There were so many things she did not want him to know. That they broke into the restricted section, vandalised a priceless book, nearly destroyed Slytherin's old apartments, and used dark magic to destroy the artefact itself.

Every time she left out any of the juicier details, she could hear Sirius clear his throat. She could not look at him. She knew that if she did, they would laugh, and Dumbledore would know that something was up. Claudia could not have that. Unlike Sirius, she did at least like to pretend that she played by the rules.

"And then I got the note from Mundungus Fletcher, saying that he will talk to you. That he will confirm all of it is true. And then I got attacked. And the note is gone." Claudia finished.

"Do not fear, Miss Avery." Dumbledore smiled at her. "Mr Fletcher will be just fine. I will see to that."

Claudia tried her best to smile back but could not.

"Could Marcus get into the castle, Professor?" She whispered.

"I do not think that is likely." Dumbledore shook his head. He opened his mouth to continue but did not get the chance.

"It was Snape. Acting on Marcus' orders." Sirius blurted out.

"Severus Snape?" Dumbledore asked. Sirius nodded, but avoided the Headmaster's eye.

"I want all three of you to listen to me very carefully now." Dumbledore began. "You will need to keep this to yourselves. Especially about the Hogsmeade murder."

"What?" Claudia sat up quickly. Too quickly, in fact, her injury throbbed. "You don't believe me?"

"I _do_ believe you. I have had my suspicions about your brother for some time." Dumbledore said slowly. "But he is not important. We have a much bigger fish to fry. A fish that would most certainly slip through the net were your brother to be arrested for this."

"My father?" Claudia asked. But she did not have to, she knew that was the answer. She was calm again. It was all starting to make sense.

"I am glad you understand my predicament, Miss Avery." Dumbledore nodded and smiled at her.

"No." Sirius said sharply. They all turned to him. "With all due respect, you cannot pretend none of this ever happened. It is not safe. Not for Claude, or anyone else. Snape has to be punished."

"Mr Black." Dumbledore said, the slightest of frowns appearing on this forehead. "I thought you of all people would understand that everybody deserves a second chance."

Sirius' face went ashen. He mumbled something under his breath, pulled his knees up to his chest and turned to look out of the window.

"Mr Black." Dumbledore continued. "I want you to look at me and tell me you remember what you promised me back in June." Dumbledore said. His tone was still kind, but with a hint of insistence. Claudia had no clue what this was about.

Sirius did not look at any of them. He uttered a barely comprehensible promise and continued to stare out of the window.

"Second chance for attempted murder?" Alice asked angrily.

"It's ok, Alice." Claudia jumped in. "When my father finds out about this, it's Marcus' and Snape's well-being you should worry about, not mine." She could swear Dumbledore almost chuckled.

"I will leave you recuperate, Miss Avery." The Headmaster said. "We will have another talk when you get better." He added, stood up and vanished through the curtains. Claudia, Alice and Sirius were left alone.

"What was that about?!" Alice barked in Sirius' direction. "I know Claudia doesn't care about her safety, but I thought at least you would be on my side."

"Can I talk to you for a bit?" Sirius whispered to Claudia and turned to Alice. "Alone?" He added. Alice looked at Claudia as if to check whether she should go. Claudia gave her a slight nod. Sirius looked genuinely troubled and she wanted to be there for him. It was the least she could do given the circumstances.

"What did you do?" Claudia asked him when Alice had disappeared. Sirius leaned forward in the armchair and put his head in his hands. It was not like him to avoid eye contact, or struggle for words. It took him a long time to speak.

"I put Snape in danger last year. I wanted to hurt him." He began to explain. "If James hadn't intervened, Snape would be dead."

"What happened?" Claudia whispered. Perhaps in hope that Sirius was exaggerating.

"I had to swear I wouldn't tell…" Sirius whispered back, still avoiding Claudia's eye. "I'm sorry. I really can't tell you." He added, just as she was about to protest.

Claudia had no idea what to say. She always knew Sirius had a temper, but to try and kill someone? She did not think he was capable of that. Then, she remembered the Hufflepuff game. She remembered the all-consuming anger, and the satisfaction she herself felt when she saw Leanne's broken leg. She knew what it meant to be consumed by the darkness within and to act on it.

"Every day I wish that I could turn back time. And not do what I did." Sirius added. Claudia reached out for his hand and squeezed it.

"You're not a bad person." She whispered. Then, something occurred to her. "If Dumbledore knows what you did, how did you not get expelled?" She added. Sirius finally looked her in the eye and raised the tiniest of smiles.

"I took the Felix Felicis you gave me before I went into the meeting with Dumbledore." He whispered. But he did not look like he was quite finished. His eyes were betraying him. There was more he wanted to say.

"There was something else Felix helped me with… I wrote you a letter." Sirius added and reached into his pocket. Out came a crumbled envelope. "But the potion wore off before I got to send it. And I chickened out." He finished and began turning the envelope over in his hand.

"Are you going to give it to me now?" Claudia asked, somewhat bemused.

Sirius sighed and continued to play with the envelope. This was clearly not an easy decision for him. After a good minute, he jumped up from the armchair, dropped the envelope into Claudia's lap and began to run off.

"Why are you leaving?" Claudia shouted after him.

"Because I'm a coward." Sirius said and vanished.

Claudia picked up the envelope. Whatever Sirius was, he was not a coward. Whatever was in the letter must have been hard for him to say. Her hand shaking, Claudia took out the letter from the envelope. It was long, torn into pieces and fixed with some muggle tape. Claudia took a deep breath, and her eyes began to travel across the page.

_Claude,_

_I just got back from a disciplinary hearing. Your birthday present saved my ass today. Truly, I don't know where I would be without it. Expelled, I suspect._

_Cheers,_

_Sirius_

_There is something else I have to say... I can't help it. I think the potion must still be working. Please keep reading, I'm begging you. You deserve an explanation._

_That night we kissed. It was the happiest I've ever been. The whole way home, nothing could wipe the smile off my face. I nearly got hit by a car. That's how dazed I was._

_But when I got back, my parents knew we were together. I suspect my dear brother saw us leave and told them. He's always been a nasty little shit-stirrer._

_I was expecting my mother to flip out and yell at me. After all, that's what she always does. But she just smiled. She was ecstatic. She wanted to invite your parents over for dinner. She practically started to pick out china for our wedding._

_I panicked. I felt like I betrayed myself. Like I must have been wrong to feel the way I did about you. The way I still __do__ feel about you…_

_I've done a lot of stupid things to try to shut out my feelings for you. All the girls, the smoking, the drinking... It achieved nothing. Other than to push you further away. And make me even more miserable._

_I'm done being stupid. I miss you. I miss your wit, your company. Whenever I see or hear something funny, I want to tell you. I want to tell you and make you laugh. In fact, I would do anything just to see you smile again. Anything to make you happy._

_I don't know how it took me this long to realise. __I love you._

_Just writing these words puts a smile on my face. It feels so right. I never thought I'd be able to say these words to anyone. I wasn't brought up to know what it means to truly love. I know you, of all people, will understand what that's like... But I'm sure. I've never been this sure about anything in my life._

_I don't know if you'll be able to forgive me. I'd be the happiest man in the world if you did. Even if we were to stay just friends. But I'd understand if you wanted nothing to do with me. I'd spend the rest of my life hating myself for what I did, but I'd understand._

_Sirius_

Claudia run her fingers along the underlined 'I love you'. As she did that, she noticed a tear landing on the parchment. And then another. She was not angry or sad, though. These were happy tears. She was relieved. She was not just another girl to him. Sirius loved her. He was a complete idiot, but he loved her.

Claudia wiped her eyes and began reading the letter again. She frowned when she got to the part about Regulus. Sirius' suspicion was right. It must have been Regulus who saw them leave the party that day. That was the only explanation for him acting so weird ever since. Claudia cursed under her breath, as she remembered all of Regulus' insensitive remarks directed at her and more recently at Julius.

Suddenly, Claudia heard the curtains opening. The rest of the letter will need to wait for another time. Claudia tried to dry her eyes and hide the letter, but she was too slow. Madame Pomfrey was already standing by her bed.

"Letter from your boyfriend?" The matron asked curiously. Claudia shook her head. She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Is it from the one who isn't your boyfriend but has been refusing to leave the hospital wing for three days?" Madame Pomfrey added, sounding somewhat amused. Claudia could not help but blush even more.

"He's still here, you know." Madame Pomfrey added casually, as she checked Claudia's bandages.

"Is he?" Claudia finally found her voice.

"Why don't you have a look for yourself?" Madame Pomfrey replied, smiling encouragingly. "I want you to start moving about anyway." The matron helped Claudia to her feet. Physically, she felt almost back to normal now. But emotionally, she was as much of a mess as always.

Claudia found Sirius sitting in the far corner of the hospital wing and slowly lowered herself to sit down on the floor next to him. He could barely look at her.

"You utter, utter moron..." Claudia began. "You broke up with me because your mother would approve?"

"I know." Sirius said, hiding his face in his hands again. "I let her get to me too much."

"It's not even that." Claudia replied. She could not help but giggle a little when she remembered how she thought about doing the same to Julius in the summer. Except she did not. Because it would have been the stupidest thing to do. "Do you really think your mother would like me if she got to know me?" She added.

"No, she would not." Sirius chuckled briefly. He looked straight into Claudia's eyes and his face froze. He looked like he wanted to say something but just could not find the courage or the right words. So instead, they sat in total silence. It was getting awkward.

"Very eloquently written..." Claudia whispered, turning the letter in her hand.

"Can't take credit for that. The words are all Felix." Sirius whispered back.

"And the sentiment?" Claudia asked timidly. "Is that also all Felix?"

"The sentiment is all me." Sirius replied, and tentatively raised his hand towards Claudia's face. She did not move away.

Sirius picked up lock of her hair between his finger and placed it behind Claudia's ear. His hand then travelled down until it reached the base of her neck. They looked deep into each other's eyes. Sirius leaned in to kiss her. Their lips touched for a second or two... Or three. It was impossible to tell. There was more chemistry packed into that one moment than her entire relationship with Julius.

Julius! Claudia remembered.

"Sirius…" She whispered and pulled away slightly. It took all the inner strengths she had. "I have a boyfriend."

"He isn't good enough for you." Sirius whispered back.

"And you are?" Claudia asked, gently pushing him slightly further away.

"I love you…" Siris replied, looking somewhat flustered. "And call me cocky, but I think you feel the same way about me."

Claudia said nothing. How could she have? She was still very confused about all of it. She spent months pretending that her feelings for Sirius either did not exist or were just a crush that would eventually go away. But maybe it was love.

Then, she remembered last Christmas. The pain that he caused her. Months of pain for one brief moment of happiness. How could it ever be worth it again?

"Tell me you don't love me, and I'll never bring this up again." Sirius continued, seeing the hesitation on Claudia's face. "We'll forget this whole business and go back to being friends."

"You broke my heart." Claudia finally managed to utter. "I trusted you and you broke my heart."

"I understand." Sirius said, attempting a smile.

"I'm not saying no. I just need time to process all of this." Claudia continued.

There was a long pause. A painfully long pause.

"Do you have to go?" Claudia said finally when she noticed that Sirius began to get up. Her voice sounded touch too desperate for her liking.

"Is that your stubbornly independent way of saying you want me to stay?" Sirius smirked.

"Maybe…" Claudia uttered. She did not particularly like it, but he was right. She would hate to be there alone.

Sirius offered Claudia his hand and helped her get up from the ground. They walked slowly back towards Claudia's hospital bed. As she climbed into bed, she suddenly felt exhausted again.

"Thank you." Claudia whispered, as she curled up on her side.

"For what?" Sirius asked.

"For ignoring my wishes and not letting them kill me." She replied, her eyes closing.

"I know better than to listen to you when you're angry." Sirius repeated her own words to her. Claudia was now half-asleep, but that still made her chuckle.

"Besides, I'd rather die than let them hurt you again." Sirius added.

"Stop being so dramatic." Claudia exhaled. Sirius reached out for her hand and squeezed it. That was the last thing she felt before falling asleep.

Claudia did not wake up till the morning. When she did open her eyes, she saw Sirius curled up in the armchair. But this time, he was sleeping. She watched him for a bit. His chest slowly rising and falling with every breath. It made him look peaceful. Claudia could have continued for hours, thinking about his letter. Alas, Madame Pomfrey came in and woke him up.

"I think you're well enough to leave the hospital wing." The matron said as she checked Claudia's bandages again. "You should get down for breakfast. The food will do you good."

"Go and get some proper sleep." Claudia said to Sirius when they found themselves alone again. "I'll be fine. No one is going to try to kill me in the Great Hall." Claudia added when she saw him hesitate.

"I'm not going to lie. A bed sounds pretty good to me right now." Sirius replied, smiling. "Promise me you'll be careful though. For real, this time!" He continued. Claudia chuckled. Sirius telling her to be careful will never not be funny.

When she stepped over the threshold of the Great Hall, everyone felt silent and looked in her direction. Then, as one, they all began to whisper. She knew exactly who they were whispering about, and she did not like it. Not one bit.

Julius got up from the Slytherin table and virtually run towards her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Been better… But also, a lot worse." Claudia joked but Julius frowned. This was obviously still no laughing matter to him.

They sat down to breakfast in silence. Claudia did not mind. She suddenly realised she was starving. She reached for the baked beans and poured an enormous serving onto her plate. Now some bacon.

"I need talk to you about something." Julius said, fidgeting.

"What is it?" Claudia sighed. She knew what was coming. The fight he had with Sirius in the hospital wing was still fresh in her memory. But she no longer blamed him for being jealous. Not after what happened last night. Even Madame Pomfrey thought that Claudia and Sirius were being obvious.

"My parents want me to go to America over Christmas. They want to take me out of school early." Julius began. Claudia was relieved. That conversation, she could handle.

"Sounds wonderful." She said with a smile.

"The problem is. I'm supposed to be going tomorrow morning." Julius continued. "Are you sure you're going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine." Claudia nodded.

"I'm happy to stay." Said Julius. He was starting to sound rather insistent.

"You should go." She said, firmly. "America is going to be great."

"Your parents should take you out of school early too." Julius replied, frowning ever so slightly. "I'm sure the Headmaster would allow it."

"I wonder why they haven't written yet." Claudia scowled. "Slughorn must have told them about what happened." She did not much care about the lack of empathy, but it was unseemly. And Cassandra hated unseemly. They better not be coming to pick her up. Just the thought of that made Claudia shudder.

For the rest of the day, everyone kept staring at Claudia. Everyone gossiped in hushed voices whenever they thought she could not hear them. It was just like her first year and the nasty squib rumours all over again.

Severus was nowhere to be seen. Claudia did not see him in the Great Hall, their classes, or the common room. Sirius' suspicion must have been right. There was not really any other explanation.

Between all the gossiping and a potentially murderous classmate, Claudia had had enough. She snuck into Slytherin's apartments to hide from it all. She had a lot of homework to catch up on and there was no better place to do that in peace.

But her brain was not working as fast as usual. Her mind kept flipping back to the conversation with Dumbledore, her rapprochement with Alice and, of course, the letter from Sirius. She took it out of her pocket and read it again.

She lied down on Slytherin's bed and closed her eyes. Of all people in the school, Sirius Black loved _her_. She could hardly imagine anything more unlikely. She was still terrified of getting hurt again. But it made her smile. She could not stop replaying their brief kiss in her head until she fell asleep.

"Damn." Claudia whispered when she woke up and glanced at her watch. She slept through dinner. Madame Pomfrey would not have been too pleased.

Claudia packed up her things and hastily made her way back to the common room. She did not imagine the Headmaster would be particularly impressed that she broke the curfew the day after she was released from the hospital wing.

When she got there, the common room was almost empty. Julius was sitting on the sofa, scowling and making the flames on a candle jump up and down.

"Where have you been?" He asked abruptly. The caring mannerism of the morning was gone. "Studying for alchemy again, I suppose". He added, icily.

"I wasn't." Claudia barked back at him. "I just have quite a lot of homework to catch-up on. And fell asleep doing it."

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning." Julius said, still frowning. "I thought we might have dinner together. Or at least hang out."

"Stop being so needy!" Claudia sighed. She was tired and in no mood to justify herself. After all, she did nothing wrong. Well, at least not this afternoon.

"Needy?" Julius growled at her. "All I want is a girlfriend who will at least pretend she cares about me! Is that so much to ask?"

"Well, then you'll need to find someone else." Claudia hissed. "Because I can't do this anymore." She added, marched towards the girls' dormitories, and slammed the door behind her.


	27. Chapter 27 (Christmas in Winchester)

_Warning: some underage drinking a implicit sexual content (there will be more of it from now on, so consider yourselves appropriately warned)_

**Christmas in Winchester**

Over the next couple of days, Claudia began to resent spending time in the Slytherin common room. Emmanuel would not speak to Claudia at all. It was clear that Julius had told him about the breakup before he left for America. And Regulus was so obviously ignoring her that it was almost laughable.

Claudia had always felt sorry for Regulus. For the first three or four years in Hogwarts, he was a quiet and studious kid, whose only desire was for his older, and much more popular, brother to notice him and be his friend. But then, something had changed. As if Regulus started to do everything he could, just to step out from Sirius' shadow. He became the school's star seeker. He started hanging out with Marcus and his gang. The shyness was all gone. Regulus became much more confident, and frankly, annoying.

Sirius' letter was just the last straw. Claudia could not quite believe that it was Regulus' meddling that contributed to her misery over the last year. Sure, Sirius had panicked at the mere thought that his mother might approve of his choices. She knew that he was entirely to blame. But it did not stop Claudia's growing resentment towards Regulus. She sighed. Just why did he have to be such a good seeker. If he was not, she would have thrown him out of the team and be done with it.

And then, there was Severus. There were few times that she caught him looking at her with an evil smirk in his eye. Every time, he looked away the moment their eyes locked. It took all of Claudia's determination not to hex him. But she promised Dumbledore. The Headmaster was right. If there was a case against her father, she would not want to jeopardise it.

She could not wait to get more information out of Dumbledore. He did promise they would have a talk again. She waited for a note from him, but none came.

Instead, one day at breakfast, she got a different sort of letter altogether. One from her mother. Claudia sighed and began to read.

_My darling daughter,_

_Your father and I have to travel overseas this winter. The plans are still moving around, so probably best if you stay in Hogwarts over the holidays. I know it is the right decision but still, I cried about it all night. I was so looking forward to spending time with both of my babies._

_Professor Slughorn wrote to us about your accident. You cannot imagine how hard this has hit us. Your father has been especially worried about you. I hope the scars heal soon. It would be so tough for a girl to live her life disfigured like that. _

_Your loving mother._

_PS. If you need anything, write to your Aunt Jutta._

Claudia was disgusted by what she just read. How can her mother continue to pretend like nothing had happened in the summer? Like the last interaction they had was not Claudia finally standing up for herself after years of hurt. Every letter she got from Cassandra since the start of term was like this. The hypocrisy was infuriating!

"Typical. All she cares about is herself." Claudia hissed as she crumbled the letter and threw it across the table. Alice picked it up.

"Did you want to go back?" She asked, as she skimmed the parchment.

"Of course not." Claudia shook her head. "But I don't particularly want to stay here either. Everyone in Slytherin is either trying to kill me, or at the very least wishes I was dead."

"I would stay." Alice sighed. "But it's probably my grandma's last Christmas. I can write to mum and dad, see if you can come too. But it's not going to be a happy trip."

"Don't worry about it." Claudia replied. "Eleanor said I can come to hers, but I need permission from my parents in any case. Permission, which I'm not going to get." Claudia resumed eating her dinner, which was now getting rather cold and tasted even less appealing. "So, I guess I'm stuck here." She sighed.

Claudia could sense that someone dropped to the chair next to her. She looked up and saw Sirius.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop." He began, looking around to make sure no-one was listening to them. "But you cannot stay here by yourself." He added, with a frown.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Claudia mumbled and continued to poke her food about.

"I'll stay…" Sirius said and paused. "If you want me to." He added, uncertainly.

"And miss your first ever Christmas with a family that you actually like?" Claudia asked him, shaking her head. "I could never ask you to do that. I'll be fine."

Sirius looked far from convinced and was about to argue with Claudia, but Alice spoke first.

"Is there really no way for you to get to Winchester? Could Slughorn give you permission? Or Dumbledore?" She asked.

"I doubt it." Claudia sighed. "They aren't going admit that this bloody school isn't safe, are they?"

"Is this from your mother?" Sirius asked and grabbed the crumbled letter, suddenly looking closer to his usual cheerful self. Claudia could not bring herself to speak and merely nodded.

"I'll take this." Sirius added, shoved the letter in his pocket and squeezed Claudia's shoulder. "It's going to be fine. I have an idea." Claudia gave him a brief smile, just before he run off.

"What's that about?" Alice asked, as they both watch him leave the Great Hall.

"My ticket out of here." Claudia said dreamily, remembering Sirius' talent for forgery. Her eyes followed him until he vanished from view.

"What happened with you two in the hospital wing?" Alice interrupted her train of thoughts.

"Fancy a walk?" Claudia sighed. There was no point keeping it to herself anymore. She needed all the advice she could get.

"What's up?" Alice asked as they reached the courtyard. Claudia could not bring herself to say anything, so instead, she handed over Sirius' letter. She had been carrying it around since the day she got it.

"I know what you're going to say." Claudia sighed when Alice looked up at her after finishing the letter.

"No, you don't…" Alice whispered.

"What were you going to say, then?" Claudia asked, somewhat defensively.

"What I was going to say was..." Alice began. "About bloody time."

"Really?" Claudia gasped. She could not quite believe the words coming out of her best friend's mouth. Alice had never been a big fan of Sirius and Claudia was certainly expecting her friend to try and talk her out of doing anything stupid.

"You two practically are in a relationship already. Admitting it would do both of you good." Alice chuckled. Seeing a rather sceptical look on her best friend's face, she continued. "If you don't believe me, then answer me this. Who is your favourite person to study with?"

"That doesn't mean anything." Claudia began to protest. "The Alchemy thing was not my doing... And I know you don't believe me, but he's just so clever. It's nice not having to explain anything."

"Who is the first person you go to when you have a problem?" Alice asked another question, smirking and looking rather pleased with herself.

"He's really resourceful." Claudia replied. "Always got something up his sleeve. There is nothing more to it."

"Last question." Alice said, and her smile briefly disappeared from her face. "Who knows most of your secrets?" She added in a somewhat disappointed tone. Clearly, their argument was forgiven but not quite forgotten.

"He never judges me." Claudia whispered, staring firmly at her shoes. "Never expects me to be someone I'm not."

"I really thought it was just some dumb crush." Alice began to say and put her arm around Claudia's shoulders. "But you clearly love him." Alice paused. "And he loves you." She added, as she slowly passed Sirius' letter back to Claudia.

"It's just a letter…" Claudia laughed nervously. Hearing these words coming out of Alice's mouth suddenly made her feel very self-conscious. "And he couldn't have written it without the potion." She added.

"You haven't seen him in the hospital wing. He was sitting by your bed for two days, making sure you were still breathing." Alice paused, as if she was weighing up whether to say more. "He was in tears…"

"He wasn't." Claudia just about managed to utter. She could not even imagine what it would be like to see Sirius cry.

"Yes, he was. He clearly loves you." Alice whispered. "You are both just torturing yourselves staying apart like this."

"It's just…" Claudia stuttered. There was a rare moment of emotional lucidity. "I'm scared. I don't think I'd survive a repeat of last Christmas."

"It's good to be scared, I think." Alice said.

"How could it be good?" Claudia smirked.

"Because it shows you love him." Alice said patiently. When she saw that Claudia was not convinced, she continued. "How would you feel if you and Julius broke up?"

"Oh. We did. Sort of…" Claudia mumbled.

"When was this?" Alice asked.

"Few days ago. Just before he left." Claudia shrugged. Alice was shaking her head and, despite this being by far the most serious conversation they ever had, looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

"What?" Claudia growled, expecting a more sympathetic reaction from her best friend.

"I just don't understand how you don't get it." Alice chuckled. "You dated this poor guy for six months. You slept with him, I presume?" Claudia shrugged, leaving Alice under no illusion that she was right. "And you don't seem at all rattled that you broke up? Not a single tear?" Alice added.

Claudia shrugged again. She did not know what else to do. So, Alice continued.

"You kissed Sirius once and went into homicidal rage for six months when he said that you should go back to being friends." She said.

"Are you saying I should date him because he drives me up the wall?" Claudia sneered.

"I'm saying that it's ok to be scared of having your heart broken." Alice rolled her eyes. "It shows your heart is actually in it."

Claudia stared at her best friend for some time. Then, she lowered her eyes and began fiddling with a button on her coat.

"I hate feeling vulnerable." Claudia sighed. "All my life, I needed to be strong. Not to let myself feel too much. This goes against everything I know."

"I know." Alice whispered and squeezed Claudia tighter. "But being strong is about overcoming your fears, not hiding from them."

"I can't do this, Alice." Claudia whispered. Alice smiled at her and gave her a hug.

"You can. You're the strongest person I know." Alice whispered back. Claudia chuckled. She may have not believed Alice, but it was nice to hear anyway.

Few days later, Professor Slughorn told her that he did indeed got a letter from Claudia's 'mother', allowing her to spend Christmas with Eleanor in Winchester. And before she knew it, Claudia found herself on the Hogwarts Express.

As she watched the countryside run past the window of the moving train, she wondered why she was not happier about spending time at Eleanor's. She closed her eyes and saw the Christmas feast in Hogwarts. Sirius was sitting next to her, laughing. Oh, that was why. She would have loved for them to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays together. With Julius out of the picture, and her talk with Alice, Claudia could feel her resolve to keep her feelings in check rapidly disappear.

But she did not have to wait long before her disappointment was replaced by excitement. When they got to Eleanor's house, there were two envelopes on the side table in the hallway. One addressed to Eleanor and one to Claudia, or rather 'Claude'. There was only one person who called her that. Claudia's heart skipped a beat, as she ripped the envelope open. In her hand was an invitation to James Potter's New Year's Eve party.

"Did you know that James lived in Winchester?" Claudia asked Eleanor, as she skimmed the address.

"I thought I've seen him around town. But I thought I was just going crazy." Eleanor giggled and turned the invitation in her hand. "My parents are going to stay with my aunt for New Year's. I thought we might have a small party here."

"Or we could go. Save you the preparations." Claudia said, desperately trying not to sound too eager. "Save us the cleaning."

"That settles it." Eleanor laughed. "Neither of us is seventeen yet and I'm not cleaning up after a party the muggle way."

"Eleanor!" Mrs King shouted from the kitchen. "Show Claudia into the guest room. We'll be eating in ten minutes." Eleanor did as she was told and led Claudia into a small room on the ground floor.

"It's not much." She whispered as she flicked the lights on. "But I thought you'd prefer it to sharing."

"It's perfect." Claudia smiled. "Thank you."

Eleanor left her to unpack, but that was the last thing on Claudia's mind. She picked up her two-way notebook.

_"You could have said that you were also in Winchester."_ She wrote.

_"But then, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"_ A response appeared almost instantly. _"Do I need to forge anything else to make sure you can come to the party?"_ More of Sirius' handwriting appeared. It made Claudia laugh. Her suspicions were right.

_"I'll be there."_ She wrote and moved her hand as if to write more but froze. She had no idea how to do any of this. The flirting, the cute messages, the dating. It was all way above her social skills. _"What are your Christmas plans?"_ She added, cringing about how lame that was.

_"We're going skiing in Switzerland but will be back here after Boxing Day."_ Sirius replied. Claudia remembered something she saw on TV in France in the summer. People hurling themselves down mountains on some wooden sticks. She was sure that what skiing was. It looked stupid and dangerous. She could definitely see James and Sirius enjoying it.

_"Provided you survive the skiing..."_ She wrote and paused again. _"Want to hang out at some point? Before the party?"_ She added, her hand shaking.

_"Sure."_ Sirius replied. _"And if I don't survive the skiing, I'll show you around Winchester as a ghost."_ Claudia chuckled. Sirius' ghost would give even Peeves run for his money.

But Sirius did survive the skiing and they met in town, few days after Boxing Day. They browsed a records store together. They had some tea in a shop full of old ladies who spent the whole time whispering about them, just loud enough that everyone could hear. They would have gone somewhere else, but everything was shut and the whole town was being drowned in torrential rain. So, the gossip went on. Sirius could have been such a handsome young man if his hair were not so overgrown. Claudia was dressed like a street urchin. They both should have better manners.

"This is just like one of my mother's parties." Claudia whispered.

"Speaking of which." Sirius chuckled, produced a small package, and handed it to Claudia. "Merry Christmas."

A badge fell into Claudia's hand.

"Blood-traitor and proud?" She read out the tiny writing on the badge. "Did you make this?" She laughed.

"I did indeed." Sirius chuckled some more. "Everyone thinks I'm being childish, but I thought you'd appreciate them." He took the badge out of Claudia's hand and pinned it on her jumper. Their faces were basically touching.

Claudia saw in his eyes that he wanted desperately to kiss her. She did know what that felt like. But instead, Sirius slowly pulled away. He promised to give her time and was sticking to it. Claudia was never more annoyed at anyone for keeping to their word. But not quite as annoyed as she was at herself was being such a coward and not kissing him herself.

"Erhm. Erhm." The owner cleared her throat. She was standing right by their table. "We're closing now." She said and dropped the bill in between them. Claudia looked at her watch. It was late and she promised she would be back at the Kings' house for dinner. They paid for the tea and run towards the bus stop as fast as they could. It was late, cold, and raining. Claudia just about managed to jump on the last bus that was going in the direction of Eleanor's house.

"I'll see you at the party." She shouted at Sirius through the closing door. He waved and smiled at her. She watched him standing there, being drenched in rain.

"This is so stupid." Claudia whispered under her breath. She made a promise to herself. Next time she saw him, she was going to kiss him.

With that promise in mind, Claudia barely managed to get through the next few days. Finally, it was New Year's Eve. Eleanor's Hufflepuff friends descended on the Kings' house just after lunch. They all went up to Eleanor's room at about three o'clock to start getting ready for the party. Claudia thought that was ridiculous, as they were not due to leave for another four hours. So instead, she set off for town.

She found a bookshop that was still open. Normally, she would have loved looking at muggle books but today, something – or rather someone – else was on her mind. All she could manage was to aimlessly browse through the history section. Claudia stumbled upon a familiar volume. It was the book on French Resistance that Eleanor lent her in the summer. The book that shook her to the core. The book that made her realise that she wanted Sirius on her side more than she wanted to be mad at him. Claudia picked up the book and made her way to the tills.

"Is it a present, dear? Do you want it wrapped?" The shopkeeper asked, as Claudia handed her some muggle money.

"Please." She whispered.

Claudia got back to the house just after six, put on some fresh clothes and went to join Eleanor and her friends.

"You aren't going dressed like that." Eleanor chuckled when she saw Claudia enter her room. "It's a party. Not a Quidditch game."

"What?" Claudia protested. "I even put on a blouse. Give me some credit!"

Eleanor laughed and went to rummage through her wardrobe. She picked up a black piece of fabric and threw it in Claudia's direction.

"Is this a belt?" Claudia asked sarcastically, as she unwrapped the fabric and held it in front of her eyes. But before she could say anything else, Eleanor threw a pair of tights at her.

"Just put it on." She giggled.

Few minutes later, Claudia was looking at herself in the mirror. She could barely remember the last time she voluntarily wore a skirt. But even she had to admit it looked alright.

"What's your shoe size?" Eleanor shouted in Claudia's direction as she dived into a box full of high-heeled shoes.

"Absolutely not." Claudia said resolutely and began putting her trusted ankle boots back on. "I'm drawing a line at the skirt." Eleanor rolled her eyes but relented.

Finally, at seven o'clock, all the girls were ready, and it was time to go. Claudia's suggestion that they should walk there was summarily vetoed and not ten minutes later, the girls were all climbing out of a taxi in front of a large, detached house.

They pressed the bell and within seconds, the front door flew open and James Potter's face appeared in the door frame. The girls began to trickle inside.

"Gate-crashing, Avery?" He asked sarcastically when it was just Claudia who was left standing outside. Claudia rolled her eyes, but James continued. "I want to see an invitation. Otherwise, you aren't coming in."

"Fine." Claudia said defiantly and began to rummage through her pockets. But she did not have to. Sirius had appeared behind James.

"Don't be a prat, mate." He said and put his arm around his best friend's shoulders. "I invited her."

"You did what?" James barked. "Why would you do that to me?"

"It's just Quidditch…" Sirius began to say, but Claudia interrupted him.

"Do you two think I could come in? It's bit chilly here." She said through gritted teeth.

James muttered something under his breath and disappeared. Claudia could finally step inside the house. She reached into her pocket and handed the wrapped book over to Sirius.

"Merry Christmas." She muttered.

Sirius torn open the packaging and looked at the cover somewhat bewildered. Muggle history probably was not his first choice of literature.

"Read it and you'll get it." Claudia smiled at him.

"Sirius!" Someone shouted from across the hallway. It was his other friend Remus. "James's asking whether you can go and get the beer from the cellar." When Sirius did not move, Remus continued. "It sounded rather urgent."

"James's such a child when it comes to Quidditch." Sirius rolled his eyes. "I'll catch you later."

"He hates me, doesn't he?" Claudia quipped.

"He hates the Slytherin Quidditch captain." Sirius replied. "It has very little to do with you."

"You better go, then." Claudia laughed. "Before he explodes with jealousy."

"See you around." Sirius chuckled. "And thanks for the book." He added uncertainly.

Claudia took off her coat and made her way towards the sitting room. It certainly looked like half of Hogwarts were there. There was butterbeer, dancing and lot of loud conversations.

The whole thing was awkward. Every time Sirius managed to find her in the crowd, someone dragged him away on an urgent errand.

One by one, all of Eleanor's friends left, until it was only Claudia and Eleanor left. Suddenly, Claudia felt a weak tap on her shoulder. It was Eleanor with a huge grin on her face.

"I know the others have already gone and we were supposed to walk home together." She said, pausing to giggle. "But Ian wants to walk me home. Are you going to be ok?" She asked, hopefully. Claudia nodded and leaned over to Eleanor.

"Of course." She whispered. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Eleanor laughed and disappeared back into the crowd.

Claudia was left there alone. She looked around. Sirius was playing the piano now. His friends were singing. Claudia sat down in an armchair and watched him from a distance. He kept glancing at her, but the crowd kept him busy. Every time he looked like he wanted to finish playing and come talk to her, a different girl begged him to play another song. Claudia hated how obvious these girls were. She hated how easy it was for them, just to walk up to him, flirt with him, touch him. Why could she not be like that too? It was infuriating.

Grumpy and tired, Claudia decided to make her way home. There was no point staying. There were just so many people and she was never going to get a chance to talk to Sirius. Let alone kiss him like she had hoped.

Claudia went to the hall to look for her coat. As she was trying to find it in the pile, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Sirius leaning casually against the wall.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" He asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"You looked busy." Claudia said, just little too sharply, unable to hide her jealousy. That seemed to have cheered Sirius up.

"Want to dance?" Sirius asked and outstretched his hand. Claudia was still annoyed but took it.

"Not really." She said, grumpily. She could barely remember the last time she danced and was in no mood to embarrass herself.

"Beer?" Sirius tried something else.

"Hate it. It's way too sweet." Claudia replied. Still frowning, but ever so slightly less.

"I've got muggle beer. You'll like it." Sirius smiled at her.

"Are you an authority on what I like?" Claudia smirked.

"Come with me." Sirius said and dragged her into the kitchen. It was full of people. Sirius got two bottles from the very back of the fridge and opened them.

Claudia took a sip. The muggle beer was cold, bitter, and just lovely. She broke into a smile.

"Ha!" Sirius laughed. "I knew you'd like it."

They sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. Sirius was chattering in Claudia's ear, but her mind was elsewhere. She was painfully aware that she could feel their knees touching, their hips, their shoulders.

"Did you really mean it?" She whispered, peeling the label of her beer bottle. "What you said in the letter?"

"Almost everything." Sirius whispered back.

"What do you mean almost?!" Claudia sat up straight and moved away. Her heart was practically in her throat.

"I can't stand being just your friend." Sirius whispered with a wry smile. "It's killing me."

"Why are you like this?" Claudia exhaled and closer her eyes. Her heart slowly descending to its rightful place. Her pulse returning to normal.

Sirius shuffled closer to her.

"I think you like me because I am this way." He whispered in her ear. She could feel his hair tickling her neck. His breath on her cheek.

"Sadly, you're right..." Claudia whispered back and reached out for his hand. Their fingers intertwined.

"Let's get out of here." Sirius said, pulled Claudia up and they slipped out of the kitchen.

They made it as far as the hallway when Sirius drew Claudia closer to him. He let go of her hand, run his palms up her arms and over her shoulders, until he reached the back of her neck. Her arms now free, Claudia placed them on his chest.

They kissed. It was just as she remembered from last Christmas. Just as she replayed in her head thousands of times.

Claudia heard someone shout. Their voice was becoming stronger and stronger. Sirius shuffled them both few steps towards the wall, reached behind Claudia's back, and opened a door. They stumbled into a dark room, still kissing.

"_Incendio_." Sirius muttered between the kisses, and sparks flew out of the end of his wand and lit the fireplace.

"Sorry, it's bit messy here." He muttered.

"You should see my room." Claudia quipped as they both dropped onto Sirius' bed, still in an embrace.

Sirius lowered one of his hands. He brushed Claudia's shoulder, then her waist. He continued until he reached Claudia's thigh. She exhaled with a little moan and slipped her hands under Sirius' t-shirt.

"Are you sure you don't want more time to think about it?" Sirius whispered and run his fingers higher and higher up Claudia's leg and under her skirt. She looked at him and saw his usual devilish grin.

"For once in your life, just shut up…" Claudia whispered, as his fingers reached the edges of her underwear. "And lock the door."

Claudia kissed him again and helped him to get rid of his t-shirt. Sirius found his wand between the covers and waved it in the direction of the door. As Claudia heard the lock click, she started to unbutton her blouse. Sirius grabbed her hands in his and slowly moved them away.

"My job." He uttered in Claudia's ear and undid the first button. She could feel his fingertips moving down her chest. He caressed her bare skin with every button he opened. Once he undid the last one, he slowly and gently slipped the fabric down from Claudia's shoulders, and run his finger across her scars.

Claudia did not mind the scars. Without them, they would not be here. They would both still be sulking and pretending that what they felt for each other was not real.

She looked up at him and, for a fraction of a second, saw a flash of pure hatred in his eyes. She knew he would jinx whoever harmed her in a heartbeat. Or worse.

Almost instantly, however, the hatred was replaced by yearning again. Sirius lifted Claudia's bra strap with his little finger and scooped it off her shoulder. She could feel goosebumps forming all over her body.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one with a goosebump problem." Sirius whispered in her ear and softly kissed her neck. There were lot more goosebumps.

"Is that what it was?" Claudia asked, remembering the tender moment between them in Hogsmeade.

"Obviously." Sirius chuckled and with one flick of his wrist, Claudia's bra flew to the floor. "I was just lucky that you know absolutely nothing about healing."

Claudia lifted herself onto her knees, pressed her now naked torso against Sirius' chest and kissed him.

Sirius closed his arms around her, leaned forward and lowered Claudia on the bed. He kissed her on her lips, on her neck, on her shoulder… Claudia shut her eyes. It was becoming unbearable. She wanted nothing more than to feel him inside of her.

With her eyes still closed, she found Sirius' belt and undid it. Sirius disappeared to the foot of the bed to get rid of his trousers, but he did not come back up. Instead, he took off Claudia's shoes, unzipped her skirt and slowly took it, and everything else she was wearing, down.

They were now both completely naked. Claudia's heart was beating so hard, she thought it might just jump out of her chest.

She could feel Sirius' hands running up her body again. First, her legs and torso. Then her arms. He interlaced his fingers with Claudia's and kissed her again. Any second now, she would just explode from desire. She wrapped her legs around him.

"Oh." Claudia sighed. Finally, she could feel him. She was as close to him as she was ever going to get.

Time had stopped.

Claudia looked deep into Sirius' eyes.

"I love you." She whispered. And she meant it. Suddenly, everything was clear to her. This was love. In its simplest, purest form.

"I love you too." Sirius whispered back and brushed his lips against hers.

Then, their bodies began to move as one, like this was the only place either of them was ever meant to be. It was just the two of them in this moment, and nothing else mattered.


	28. Chapter 28 (The Morning After)

Claudia woke up just as she fell asleep. In Sirius' arms. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers, and hear his heart beating in his chest. It was not possible to be in a moment more pure, more beautiful. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

In the light of the dying fire, she was just about able to make out the outline of Sirius' face. He was smiling at her.

"Are you watching me sleep?" Claudia muttered. Sirius smiled even more broadly. He looked different, the usual tension in his face was all gone. Claudia did not think it was possible for him to look that… She briefly struggled for the right word. That serene.

"You're beautiful." Sirius exhaled, interrupting her train of thought, and brushed a lock of hair out of Claudia's face.

"Stop it." Claudia chuckled. Whatever she was, she was not beautiful. But she could not stop smiling either.

"What's the time?" She asked, yawning a little.

"I don't care." Sirius replied and planted a kiss on her forehead. Claudia purred and turned over to look at Sirius' watch.

"It's late. I've got to go back." She sighed. She could not imagine anything less appealing. If she could pick a moment to stay in for the rest of her life, this would be it. She never felt this warm, secure, and loved.

"I've been dreaming about this for months." Sirius said and squeezed her in his arms. "Not letting you go, ever." He added and buried his face in the crook of Claudia's neck.

"They'll start a missing person inquiry." Claudia giggled. "Besides, you don't have to come with me." She added and freed herself from Sirius' embrace enough to sit up. She regretted it instantly. The air in the room was cold. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back inside the duvet, their little bubble of warmth and happiness.

It was as if Sirius read her mind. He shuffled closer to Claudia and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What sort of boyfriend would I be if I let you walk home by yourself?" He quipped and held her tight. "It's still dark outside."

"Boyfriend? Is that what you are?" Claudia chuckled.

"If you let me." He said, with a cheeky smile. They both started laughing at the same time. Of course, she was going to let him. She was done pretending that she could ever truly fight off her feelings for him. And Sirius knew it.

"Only if you promise we'll do this again." Claudia said, making a swooping gesture around the bed.

Sirius grabbed her even tighter and pulled her back down into the covers.

"I'll happily promise you that." He whispered in her ear and kissed her neck.

"We have to go." Claudia pretended to object.

"I know." Sirius said but did not stop kissing her.

"You're such a bad influence." Claudia exhaled, closed her eyes, and passionately kissed him back. She could not care less about being late. Not anymore.

"OK. Let's go then." Sirius pulled away and patted Claudia on her leg.

"Wait. What?" Claudia gasped.

"You were the one who said we had to go." Sirius shrugged and jumped out of bed. He was having way too much fun torturing her like this. He put on his underwear, picked up Claudia's clothes from the floor and threw them at her.

"Chop, chop." He chuckled and finished getting dressed. "I'll get us some coffee."

"I really do hate you sometimes..." Claudia said through gritted teeth, and grudgingly began to put her own clothes on.

Sirius disappeared out of the room and when he came back few minutes later, he was holding a mug of coffee and Claudia's coat.

"Are you feeling up for an interrogation?" Sirius quipped and passed her the steaming mug. "They've all passed out in the living room and, stupidly, I've just woken them up."

"No." Claudia said resolutely and took a sip of the coffee. It was heavenly. "Window?" She asked and passed the mug back to Sirius.

"Coward." Sirius laughed. "I couldn't find your jumper. You can take one of mine. It's freezing outside." He added.

They finished the mug of coffee between them. Claudia pulled on a jumper that Sirius had long outgrown and her coat. Sirius opened the large sash window and jumped out of it. He turned, as if he was going to helped her down, but Claudia beat him to it and jumped into the fresh layer of snow.

"Still won't let me help you, eh?" Sirius quipped.

"Of course, not!" Claudia chuckled.

Sirius put his arms around Claudia's shoulders. She slid hers under his jacket and around his waist. They set off just as the day began to break. It felt so easy, so natural. As if, they had been together for years.

They were almost half-way to Eleanor's house when Claudia suddenly remembered something. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Can we not tell anyone about this yet?" She asked. "I need to speak with Julius first."

"Didn't you break up?" Sirius replied.

"I guess so." Claudia whispered. Seeing a bewildered look on Sirius' face, she continued. "We broke up. But he deserves to hear this from me first."

"I don't think he deserves anything." Sirius mumbled. "But fine."

"Don't you start as well." Claudia teased him. "One jealous boyfriend was plenty."

"Boyfriend." Sirius grinned and drew Claudia even closer to him. "That's going to take a while to get used to."

Just as the sun came out over the horizon, they arrived at Eleanor's house. It was time to say good-bye.

"I have to go in." Claudia whispered between kisses. She was standing on the top of the kerb, with Sirius standing on the road. She was still shorter than him, but not by much. Her arms were resting on his shoulders. He held her tightly by the waist.

"Not yet." Sirius uttered and slowly slid his hands down onto her bum and under the hem of her skirt.

Suddenly, he froze and tilted his head slightly to look over Claudia's shoulder.

"What is…" Claudia began to ask but did not get the opportunity to finish, as Sirius spoke first.

"Hi Eleanor." He grimaced in the direction of the house.

Claudia closed her eyes tight. They were not able to keep this a secret for long. She turned as well and saw her friend peaking at them from behind the hedge. She was blushing.

"I was beginning to worry that something happened to you." Eleanor said. "But I see you're just fine." She added, giggling. She gave them an awkward wave and disappeared back into the house.

"I really need to go in." Claudia said and dropped her face on Sirius' shoulder. "Before everyone sees us."

"I'll see you on the train." He whispered. Claudia gave him one more kiss and began to walk towards the front door. She stopped after few steps and turned back towards Sirius. She remembered last Christmas. She remembered their sweet good-bye in front of her parents' house, before everything was ruined by that stupid note. This was just like that again.

"I won't do anything stupid..." Sirius said. He must have seen the hesitation and sadness on Claudia's face.

"Yes, you will." Claudia smirked. "Just talk to me this time, and we're going to be fine." She replied.

Sirius put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. Claudia could swear he was blushing a bit. She smiled at him and disappeared into the house.

Claudia shut the door and leaned against it. She was grinning again.

"I don't know who I was expecting to bring you home, but I was _not_ expecting him." Eleanor popped her head out of the kitchen. She was still giggling. "How did that even happen?" She asked.

"Do you remember when I told you about my first kiss?" Claudia replied.

"The mysterious friend! That was him?" Eleanor gasped. "I need details!" Claudia was in no mood to talk about what just happened. She wanted to go to bed, shut her eyes and dream about last night all over again.

"I need to get some sleep…" Claudia said, yawning.

"Fine." Eleanor rolled her eyes.

Claudia began to walk to her room when she remembered Eleanor's inability to find any conversation topic off limits.

"Eleanor… Please don't tell anyone about this yet." Claudia said. Eleanor bit her lip but nodded.

"And do keep the skirt. I don't really want it back." Eleanor's voice followed Claudia down the corridor. "Not after what I've just seen." Claudia could feel her cheeks burning as she shut the bedroom door behind her.

Claudia curled up in bed. She wrapped her own arms around her and took a deep breath. She could still smell Sirius and his cologne on her skin and clothes. Claudia closed her eyes and saw herself in Sirius' bed again. And with that picture in her mind, she fell asleep.

Eleanor came to wake her up as the noon was approaching, as her parents were due back any time now. Claudia took a quick shower and put on some fresh clothes. She, however, could not quite resist putting Sirius' jumper back on. With Eleanor's parents back, they all went for a lovely lunch in the local pub and spend the afternoon playing board games.

"I'll leave you to some family time." Claudia said at about seven o'clock after she annihilated them in something called Monopoly and left for her room. She climbed into bed and took out her notebook to write to her boyfriend. The thought of calling Sirius that still made her giggle.

But before she even opened the notebook, she heard a light knock on her window. And then another. She jumped up from bed and went to open it.

"What are you doing here?" She asked when she saw Sirius grinning at her from the ground.

But Sirius did not reply. He jumped up, sat on the windowsill, and pulled Claudia into a tight hug. Then, he kissed her.

"Did you really think I could wait till tomorrow to kiss you again?" He whispered.

"I'll get my coat." Claudia chuckled, pushed Sirius gently back down to the ground, and shut the window behind him.

"I'm going for a walk." Claudia said as she poked her head into the living room. "Might have a look around town. It'll be beautiful tonight."

"It's quite late. Eleanor will come with you." Replied Mrs King. Eleanor began to get up.

"I don't want to be a bother. And I'll be back by nine." Claudia shook her head and gave Eleanor a significant look. Eleanor understood and, mercifully, Mrs King dropped it. Claudia run out of the door before either of Eleanor's parents changed their minds.

Sirius and Claudia walked to town and before long found themselves sitting in a small pub. They were perched next to each other on a bench, crouching over a little table. Two pints of the lovely muggle beer and some pork scratchings were laying on the table in front of them.

"The jumper looks cute on you." Sirius whispered and wrapped his arm around Claudia's shoulders.

"If my mother saw me." Claudia replied and dropped her head back onto Sirius' shoulder. He leaned towards her and kissed her. They got completely lost in the moment.

"Should we head back?" Claudia whispered. "I promised to be back by nine."

"You're such a goody two shoes." Sirius smirked.

"Am I?" Claudia laughed and run her fingers across Sirius' chest. "Would a goody two shoes be wondering what kind of silencing charm might work on her bedroom?"

"Nulla Sonus." Sirius replied before Claudia even finished her question. "I'm very good with silencing charms." He grinned.

"What are we going to do back at school?" Claudia chuckled, as they began putting their coats back on.

"If only there was a place that only the two of us knew about." Sirius smirked. "That already had a bed in it."

"Wait. You want to do it in Slytherin's rooms? In his bed?" Claudia asked, somewhat bemused.

"I'm sure the old man won't mind." Sirius shrugged. "We are both purebloods after all." They both burst out laughing. Given their views on the pureblood mania, the thought of Slytherin approving of their union was entertaining.

In an embrace, they left the pub and walked back to Eleanor's house. Claudia said good night to the Kings, went back to her room and let Sirius in through the window.

The following morning, it was his turn to sneak back into his bed before anyone else noticed he spent the night elsewhere. Claudia was still half-asleep when Sirius got up and got dressed. He crouched down next to her and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you." He whispered and pulled the blanket over her naked shoulder.

Claudia purred. Sometimes it was ok to be a girl. At least she did not have to wade through snow to walk him home. She could stay in bed.

"I love you too." She tried to say back, but all she could hear was an incomprehensible mumble. Her eyes felt too heavy. She fell asleep again.

Later that morning, Claudia sat down with the other prefects in the designated carriage. Emmanuel arrived not long after she did. He was still giving her the evil eye. Claudia could feel the happiness drain out of her. She knew she had to talk to Julius sooner rather than later. She did not want to, but she had no choice. She set off to find him.

But first, she stuck her head into the compartment where Alice was sitting.

"How was your holiday?" Asked one of Alice's friends.

"It was _good_." Claudia replied. She could not help but to glance at Alice and grin.

"Is there something you want to share with us?" Alice smirked.

"No." Claudia shook her head, but the grin stayed on her face. "I need to run…. Bathroom." She added significantly.

"I'm coming with you." Alice uttered and followed Claudia out of the compartment. Alice barely had a chance to close the door behind her when Claudia flung her arms around Alice's neck.

"Thank you for talking some sense into me." She whispered. When Alice did not look like she knew what was going on, Claudia let go off her and continued. "Eleanor is not the only person from our year who lives in Winchester. The Potters too. And the fugitive they're hiding." Claudia giggled.

"Did you see him?" Alice asked.

"You could say that." Claudia said and burst out laughing. "Every last bit of him… Twice."

"Claudia!" Alice exclaimed. She managed to sound shocked, amused, and little judgemental all at the same time.

Claudia did not care in the slightest. Instead, she hugged her best friend again.

"I didn't even know it was possible to feel this happy." She whispered.

"So, are you two like a couple now?" Alice asked. Claudia smiled and nodded. "You and Sirius? An actual couple?" Alice added, just to double check.

"Once I tell Julius about it, we will be." Claudia grimaced, hugged Alice again and disappeared down the aisle to go find her ex-boyfriend.

At the beginning of their relationship, Claudia really did think that Julius might be the right boyfriend for her. In the summer, when he admitted disliking the pureblood mania, she even thought she might love him. But then she realised she could not. And not just because she was really in love with someone else. Julius wanted her to be someone she was not. He just wanted a proper girlfriend, someone who would hang on his every word, tell him how smart he was and go on lame dates. There was no way she could ever do that.

"Do you have a minute?" Claudia asked, as she opened the door to his compartment.

Julius gave Emmanuel a significant look, nodded and got up to follow her into the aisle. For a moment, they stood awkwardly there, staring at each other. Finally, Claudia summoned enough courage to do it and took out a small box out of her pocket.

"Oh." Julius smiled. "I got you something too, just in case. But it's in the compartment." He said and took a step or two towards the door.

"It's not a present." Claudia winced. She should have realised this is how it was going to look. "It's the necklace you gave me for my birthday. I can't keep it."

Julius' smile had frozen on his face.

"I'm sorry." Claudia whispered.

"This is about Black, isn't it?" Julius recovered enough to speak. He was frowning now.

"Come on, we haven't been getting on for ages." Claudia replied. "I can't be the person you want me to be."

"Right." Julius replied and snatched the box from her hand. "Because I'm exactly the person you want to be with."

"Can we please just be civil about this?" Claudia sighed.

"Why?" Julius growled. "Do you want me to be happy for you?"

"I just want us to get through the Quidditch season without killing each other." Claudia said through gritted teeth.

"Right, Quidditch…" Julius rolled his eyes and began to walk away. "Yet another thing that is more important to you than I ever was."

"You're still coming to practice, right?" Claudia shouted after him. Julius did not turn back. He shut the door to the compartment after him so forcefully, that the glass shook in the frame.

"That went well." Claudia muttered to herself and began walking back to the prefects' carriage.

Reality came down crashing down on her and she began wondering how everyone else was going to react to her new relationship. Her parents may have disappeared, but they made it very clear that Sirius was not desirable company. Thankfully, Claudia did not really care what they thought. But what about all the girls that dated him before her? She could hear their jibes already. And then, there was Quidditch. Julius was raging with jealousy already, and he did not even know that he was right. Claudia could not even imagine what Regulus was going to say or do.

Claudia was nearly in the prefect carriage when she felt someone's hand on her back.

"Hello." A familiar voice whispered in her ear. Claudia twitched and looked around.

"You've changed your mind already, haven't you?" Sirius said quietly. "And I didn't even get the chance to fuck this up."

"No, that's not it." Claudia replied, squeezing his hand. She looked around again, dragged him int an empty compartment, and locked the door behind them.

"I couldn't tell Julius…" Claudia whispered.

"I still don't get why that matters." Sirius frowned.

"It's Quidditch." Claudia sighed.

"Quidditch? How?" Sirius burst out laughing.

"Well..." Claudia whispered and launched into a monologue. "I'm the captain. And a good one. And despite losing to your lot, we still have a shot at the cup. But! If the team find out that we are dating, the whole thing is going to implode. I cannot lose Julius, he is a great keeper, but he hates you. He's been on edge ever since we started talking again. He blames you for the breakup. And he doesn't even know we are together. And don't get me started on Regulus. He hates you even more. If that's actually possible. I'm not saying we should break up, but…" She finally had to pause for breath.

"But?" Sirius asked tentatively.

"Can we keep this to ourselves? For now?" Claudia replied.

"So, this is what it would be like to date James…" Sirius smirked. "Quidditch first."

Claudia gave him a brief smile.

"Are you ok not telling James right away?" She asked.

"It's going to be fun watching him figure it out." Sirius shrugged.

"Are you sure?" Claudia felt the need to double check. She knew how important James was to him.

"Don't worry, I am used to making allowances for this dumb game." Sirius sighed.

"Quidditch isn't dumb." Claudia frowned and opened her mouth to continue her defence of Quidditch. But Sirius jumped in before she could.

"Bloody hell, James – when did you get this good with Polyjuice Potion?!" He laughed, moved closer to Claudia and grabbed her tightly in his arms.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" Claudia frowned. She was not amused.

"I _am_ funny." Sirius smirked and kissed her. "And this is a great way to shut you up when you start talking about Quidditch." He whispered, as his lips parted with Claudia's for a brief moment.

"This isn't fair." Claudia pretended to protest but kissed him back.

The next few weeks went in a blur. In classes or the Great Hall, Claudia could not help but glance at Sirius. There were winks and fleeting smiles between them. Claudia thought that anyone who knew them and had an ounce of emotional awareness must have guessed that they were together. Every spare moment they had, they spent making out in an empty classroom or a hidden corner of the castle. And more often than not, that led to them sneaking to Slytherin's apartments.

One Saturday afternoon at the very end of January, they were lying in the four-poster bed again having just made love. Sirius was running his palm over Claudia's back. He looked deep in thought, as he rested his hand on top of Claudia's shoulder where the most prominent of her scars was. She could see the hatred in his eyes again.

"You have no intention of letting it go, do you?" Claudia sighed.

"No, I don't." Sirius said resolutely.

"But Dumbledore…" Claudia began to say, but Sirius interrupted her.

"I really don't care what the old man said." Sirius frowned. "I'm going to find a proof that it was Snape and he's going to pay."

"You promised…" Claudia whispered.

"I don't give a shit what I promised." Sirius barked.

"But, my father…" Claudia tried intervening again.

"Claude, please." Sirius implored her. "You almost died. Do you think I can let it go? Just cross my fingers and hope it's not going to happen again?"

"Fine." She sighed. "But we are going to look for a proof that it was Snape. And if we find it, we aren't going to do anything rash." That was good enough for Sirius.

"Thank you." He whispered and kissed her. "Now." He added and rolled to the side of the bed. "Let's see what he's up to."

Sirius pulled out a large piece of parchment from of his bag and unfolded it on the bed. It was blank. He took out his wand and pointed it at the very centre.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He said, grinning widely.

Claudia watched in amazement as a map of the Hogwarts castle appeared on the parchment. There were hundreds of tiny dots zipping about, in corridors, classrooms, dormitories. Each with a name attached to it.

"Where did you get this?" She gasped.

"We made it." Sirius replied, grinning some more.

"You haven't." Claudia chuckled and began examining the paper more closely. "You couldn't have."

"So glad to have a girlfriend that believes in my abilities." Sirius smirked.

"I believe in your abilities." Claudia replied. "But this is beyond genius."

"Maybe I'm beyond genius then." Sirius shrugged.

"How does it work?" Claudia asked, still not sure whether she should believe him or not.

"Well." Sirius smiled, shuffled close to Claudia and put his arm around her. "We had to draw this and cast the Homonculous Charm in every bloody corridor, room and alcove in this castle. The charm tracks everybody's movements, you see."

"Hang on." Claudia's eyes narrowed. "This is how you found me in the Forbidden Forest, isn't it?" She asked, remembering how Sirius appeared out of nowhere when she was trailing Marcus and Severus deep in the forest.

"And in the corridor…" Sirius whispered.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this." Claudia frowned. "Have you been stalking me?"

"You wish." Sirius laughed. "I was just looking over the grounds one evening and saw your brother and Snivellus walking toward the forest, with you in pursuit. Obviously, I was going to see what you were up to." Sirius paused and took a deep breath. "And the second time, I just had this horrible flashback to when Marcus attacked you. We had the map open, so I scanned for your marker. It was flickering and I knew instantly something was wrong."

"Was anyone else around? Did you see Snape attack me?" Claudia whispered.

"No, it was just you at that point…" Sirius shook his head. "I didn't have time to look where Snivellus was."

"I wonder where he is now." Claudia said and began to search the map for Snape.

"Here he is." Sirius said grumpily and pointed to the library.

"That reminds me." Claudia sighed. "We need to go and finish that forcefield. We are nearly there." That was true. They've been working hard on it all autumn and were very close to transfiguring an old cauldron to contain the forcefield that would, in turn, contain the alkahest.

"Really? Now?" Sirius whispered in her ear and run his fingers up and down Claudia's leg.

"Really. Now." Claudia chuckled. "Unless you want me to think you only signed up to Alchemy to get me into your bed."

"Well." Sirius grinned. "It was a consideration." He said but did not get to continue, as Claudia threw his shirt onto his head.

They barely managed to do any studying before James appeared at their table.

"Ready to go?" He asked in Sirius' direction.

"Need to finish this Alchemy thing." Sirius replied.

"Just do it on Saturday, mate." James said in a tired voice. "Everyone is going to the Quidditch game, so you'll have time."

"I was going to come and watch the Quidditch with you." Sirius said, blushing ever so slightly.

"Hang on." James' eyes narrowed. "I can barely make you come to the Gryffindor games. Last time you came to a game that wasn't ours, Leanne forced you to go watch her." He pointed at Claudia. "When this one nearly killed her… Are you telling me there is someone new, again?"

"I just fancy some fresh air…" Sirius said casually, but the corner of his mouth was twitching. There was a long pause. James' eyes were boring into Sirius, then, he looked at Claudia. She had to turn away not to burst out laughing.

"No!" James shouted finally. "She's the Slytherin captain. Literally, the enemy!"

Neither Sirius nor Claudia could hold it in any longer. There was no point pretending anymore. They laughed and briefly reached for each other's hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?" James barked in Sirius' direction.

"Just wanted to see how long before you figure it out." Sirius quipped. "And because you take Quidditch too seriously."

"James, please don't tell anyone." Claudia jumped in, with the smile suddenly wiped off her face. "My team will implode. I'm begging you."

"Why should I care?" James smirked.

"Because I care. And you are meant to be my best friend." Sirius growled, leaving his best friend under no illusion about how important that was.

Claudia could not help but sneer. It felt good to see James put back in his box for once. Sirius turned to her.

"And you should cut it out too." He said, still frowning. "I know that you both care about this stupid game, but I don't. And I'm not getting in the middle of some dumb fights about it!" He added and returned to the Alchemy textbook, leaving James and Claudia to sit at either side of him, arms folded and scowling at each other.

Claudia did not have much time to worry about James' feelings. With the Quidditch game in less than a week, the team had a practice every day. And every free moment, she spent watching Snape's marker on Sirius' map. One afternoon, they had the map spread open on Slytherin's bed again when Snape finally looked like he was up to something fishy. He was lurking in a dungeon corridor for a minute or two and then slowly disappear into a wall.

"What's in there?" Claudia gasped.

"No clue." Sirius said, jumped out of bed and started to put his clothes back on. "The map doesn't show the things we didn't get into. Could be a hidden part of the castle, a secret passage, or a toilet we forgot to draw."

Claudia got dressed as quickly as she could and they both run down to the dungeons to check out where Snape was hiding. It turned out to be even less exciting than a forgotten toilet. There was just a battered door with a sign saying '_Cleaning Supplies_'.

They hid in the room opposite and waited for Snape to re-appear on the map. After an hour or so, he did. They waited for him to get back to the common room and went to explore his peculiar hiding place. At a first glance, it looked inconspicuous. But then, Claudia noticed something.

"Look. There is soot on the ground." She whispered and crouched down. "And the floor is still warm. He's been using a cauldron here."

"Why would he be brewing anything in a cleaning closet?" Sirius asked but quickly smirked and began answering his own question. "Because he's brewing something illegal…"

They searched the closet with anticipation but found nothing. They watched Severus for days and seen nothing remotely suspicious or interesting. They even began to give up, thinking they imagined the whole episode. Maybe he was just looking for a cleaning solution after all.

_AN: I prefer stories with single POV, but I know that is not the universal preference. Is there a particular part of this story you would like to read from someone else's perspective? Be it Marcus, Julius, Alice, or Sirius. Let me know and I will consider writing it if I have a spare moment. I have done some short stories from Sirius' and Peter's POV already that help me make the characters clearer in my head, so very much keen to give it a go._


	29. Chapter 29 (Quidditch Rivalries)

**Quidditch Rivalries**

January gave way to February and it was the time again for the Slytherin Quidditch team to assemble for their customary pre-match breakfast. But the mood in the Great Hall was somewhat muted. Everyone was talking in hushed voices, and there was neither cheering nor booing when Claudia walked over to the Slytherin table.

"What's going on?" She asked Anthony, who was the first team member there.

"Couple of second-years collapsed just now." He replied. "They had to be taken to the hospital wing."

"When will the little ones learn how to handle their butterbeer?" Claudia shook her head. "Please tell me they weren't Slytherins and I don't have to deal with them later." She was starting to become quite tired of her prefect duties.

"Hufflepuffs. And it looked more serious than that." Anthony replied, looking extremely worried. "Hope they'll be ok."

"I'm sure they will be." Claudia tried to give him an encouraging smile. The last thing she needed today was for her most reliable player to breakdown over something this trivial.

"Anthony." Said someone so sharply it made Claudia jump. She turned and saw Regulus behind her. "Your brother's been telling me that it's going to be him, rather than you, covering me today."

"That's right." Claudia jumped in. After all, this was her decision. "Ravenclaw's chasers are better than Gryffindor's. We need the more experienced beater to handle that." She briefly looked at Chris. "No offence."

"So, I'm going to be the sacrificial lamb, again?" Regulus barked.

"Nobody is being sacrificed." Claudia said as patiently as she could. "It's just the better strategy."

"I don't know why I bother." Regulus said angrily and dropped into his chair. "Nobody appreciates my talent."

"Oh, shut it." Julius said suddenly. "You know full well that Claudia's right."

"Still on her side." Regulus rolled his eyes. "I'd pity you if you weren't so pathetic."

"Enough." Claudia barked. "Can we just stop the bickering for one minute? We have a game to win."

"Hear, hear." Whispered Chris and tucked into his breakfast. The rest of the team grumbled but eventually followed suit.

As they were about to leave for the pitch, Claudia grabbed Julius' arm.

"Thank you." She whispered. "I know this can't be easy for you."

"I just want to win." He replied and freed himself from her grasp. "And you were right. There is nothing more to it."

Claudia watched Julius march out of the Great Hall when Chris whispered in her ear.

"It's going to get easier." He said.

"I don't see how." Claudia sighed. "If his head gets any bigger, he won't be needing a broom to fly."

"I don't mean Regulus." Chris chuckled. "I mean your ex."

"Should have listened to Parkinson. Bad idea to date a teammate." Claudia replied as they began walking together to the pitch.

"It always struck me." Chris began and paused. "Sorry if that's bit direct… That he was way more into you, than you were into him."

"I just…" Claudia sighed. "It was a bad idea. Got sort of stuck." She added.

"I wish you better luck next time." Chris winked at her.

"Thanks." Claudia giggled. She did not need luck, not anymore. "Anyway… Let's hurry up. Need to get there before Regulus decides to re-do the whole tactical board."

Mercifully, Regulus did not meddle with the tactics any further, and the team managed to keep it together during the game. The chasers played as well as they did against Gryffindor and Regulus was back to his best. He caught the snitch barely an hour into the game. Claudia felt that he caught it a touch too early but did not have it in her to argue. It had been a year since they won a game, and it felt as good as ever. Hopefully, it would still be enough to give them a chance at the Quidditch Cup.

As mid-February approached, the atmosphere in the whole school changed. For the worse, as everyone started obsessing about Valentine's Day. Even with a boyfriend that she loved, Claudia found the prospect of it horrifying. The cards, the dates, the presents. Everyone losing their mind over secret admirers. The whole thing made her cringe. But then, she remembered something. Sirius seemed to like her for who she was. She was sure he would not be upset in the slightest if they decided to skip the whole charade. And she was right, Sirius looked relieved and they agreed to meet in the Alchemy lab on Valentine's evening to make progress on the alkahest.

Claudia had successfully transfigured the cauldron into the forcefield while waiting for him. Around six, Sirius finally arrived, with his arms full of chocolates and cards, and his face full of fury.

"Are they all for me?" Claudia laughed. The look on Sirius' face made it obvious that was not the case.

"Not funny." Sirius growled and dumped them in the bin.

"Oi! I'm peckish. We could have eaten those." Claudia protested.

"They're all laced with love potion." Sirius frowned.

"Of course, they are." Claudia rolled her eyes. Sirius did not laugh. He still was in no mood for jokes. "What happened?" She added. "Surely it cannot be a surprise to you that half the school is in love with you."

"It doesn't matter." Sirius growled and began unpacking his books. Claudia looked at him from beneath her eyelashes, leaving him under no illusion that she knew something was bothering him. "Fine." Sirius sighed. "It's James. He's been encouraging this." He gestured towards the bin overflowing with chocolate boxes. "Hoping I'll get sick of you and date someone else. Someone who is not _the enemy_."

"Right." Claudia laughed nervously. This kind of talk still make her self-conscious.

"Which I'm not going to do." Sirius whispered and gave her shoulder a brief squeeze. "I just wish he focused on his own love life."

"James has a love life?" Claudia asked, somewhat surprised that Sirius' best friend could be in love with someone other than himself.

"He's obsessed with Lily Evans." Sirius replied. "And I mean obsessed. It's not healthy."

"They would make the worst couple in the world." Claudia grimaced.

"Is there anyone you actually like?" Sirius asked, his usual smirk slowly returning to his face.

"I like you!" Claudia replied, defensively. "And winning, so let's get going." She added and pointed to the transfigured cauldron.

"You and James are more alike than either of you'll ever admit." Sirius uttered under his breath. Claudia did not catch the rest of his sentence but could swear the words single-minded and competitive were used.

"In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I'll pretend I haven't heard that." Claudia giggled and went to get the needed ingredients from the cupboard.

"What do we need to do with these seashells again?" Sirius asked, flipping through the book.

"Heat them to eight-hundred-fifty degrees." Claudia replied, took out a dozen or so seashells from the box and put them on a metal tray. "I thought we could melt them with the cursed fire." She added, tongue in cheek. Sirius shook his head but could not help but smile a little. "Too soon?" Claudia laughed, remembering their row last year.

"It will always be too soon." Sirius chuckled. "Besides, I think the modified fireplace oven over there might just be preferable to using dark magic."

"If you insist." She rolled her eyes and shoved the cast iron tray into the oven. It was time to wait, before taking the next step – mixing the molten seashells with alcohol.

"Do you think it's drinkable?" Sirius asked, sniffing the bottle of alcohol. Claudia was not quite sure whether he was joking or not.

"Of course not! It's hundred percent." She shrieked and grabbed the bottle when she saw he began moving it to his lips. "It would kill you."

Sirius poured the molten seashells into the force-field. Claudia measured out the right amount of alcohol and stood over the cauldron.

"Ready?" She asked, outstretched her arm, and poured the alcohol in.

The moment the first drop touched the substance in the cauldron, the alcohol ignited, and a tower of fire shot up high above their heads.

Claudia jumped away from the fire, tripped over a chair, and tumbled to the ground. The glass she was holding shattered in her hand.

"Are you ok?" Sirius asked and grabbed her hands in his to examine them. He was kneeling in front of her.

"I think so." Claudia replied. She managed to move her arm out of the way of fire just in time.

"Your hair is bit scorched." Sirius frowned and run Claudia's fringe between his fingers.

"It'll grow back." Claudia smiled at him. Sirius brushed her hair out of her face. Then, he shook his head and smiled. "What?" She laughed.

"I've spent so long wanting to kiss you that I keep forgetting that now I actually can." Sirius whispered. She looked into his eyes and brought her hands up to his face. They kissed. Every time, it still felt like their first time. Like there was no one and nothing else in the world. Just the two of them, in a moment of perfect happiness.

Eventually, they managed to find their concentration again and come back to the textbook.

"Ah. That explains it." Claudia said and began to read out loud.

_"Pure alcohol ignites over three-hundred-sixty degrees. Any substance that it is being mixed with must, thus, first be sufficiently cooled down."_

"Here is a thermometer." Sirius smirked and grabbed some contraption out of the cupboard. So, they tried again. This time, they waited too long, and the mixture went solid.

"Third time is the charm." Sirius quipped as he took out another tray of seashells from the oven. They watched it closely.

"It's starting to thicken." Claudia said finally. She took a deep breath and carefully poured the alcohol into the mixture. And it worked. There was no fire, and the quicklime and alcohol mixed beautifully. The first step was done.

Claudia practically fell into Sirius' embrace. She was tired, hot, sweating and covered in soot.

"You taste like the sea." Claudia quipped as she kissed him.

"And you smell like hell." Sirius replied and pressed his body against hers. She suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to rip his shirt off.

"I know the perfect place to wash it all off." Claudia whispered and kissed him. "Prefects' bathroom." They kissed again. "There is a pool." Another kiss. "And all kinds of bubbles."

"Well. If there are bubbles, we'll just need check to it out." Sirius replied, with a wry smile and tugged his hands inside the back pockets of Claudia's jeans.

"Get your cloak and go to the fifth floor, the fourth door to the left of a statue of Boris the Bewildered." Claudia smiled. "I'll tidy up this mess and meet you there in ten." She added.

"There are far worse ways to spend Valentine's Day." Sirius uttered as they were saying good night, hiding under the cloak by the steps leading to the Slytherin common room. He was certainly right. The prefects' bathroom proved to be a perfect setting for a romantic end to their evening. "I'm just not sure the mermaid portrait will recover after what she's seen." He quipped. Claudia did not laugh.

"I hate this." She whispered. "Having to go back in there and sleep in the cold bed. Alone."

"We could go and sleep…" Sirius began to say.

"My roommates wouldn't cover for me." Claudia interrupted him and buried her face in Sirius' chest. "It's late. I have to go in, or they'll get suspicious." It took Claudia another twenty minutes, however, to leave the warmth of her boyfriend's embrace and set off for the Slytherin dormitories.

A week or so after Valentine's Day, Claudia arrived early to the alchemy classroom only to find that James and Sirius were already there. She walked over to them and peaked over Sirius' shoulder to see what he was working on. It looked like he was desperately trying to finish the Transfiguration essay that was due that afternoon.

"I'm not going to disturb you." Claudia chuckled and squeezed his shoulder.

"Please do." Sirius laughed, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down to sit on his lap. They both looked in James' direction. He was squarely ignoring them, just as he has been ever since he found out about them. Claudia outstretched her neck to see what he was scribbling. It did not look like Transfiguration.

"Can you tell her to go away?" James barked and hid his parchment from view. "I'm trying to work on tactics here."

"You guys have tactics?" Claudia laughed. "I've just assumed you fly around as fast as you can, smashing things… Well, that's what it looks like anyway."

"You're right. We need a new approach." James growled. "Maybe I need to start sleeping with your best friend. To mess with your head."

"James…" Sirius hissed. To Claudia, it certainly sounded like a warning.

"Do you really think that?" Claudia asked James, her eyes narrowing. "That I'm doing this for Quidditch."

James growled again but did not say anything. He was doing his best again to pretend that neither of them existed.

"Yes, he does." Sirius said slowly. "He thinks that Regulus planned this whole thing to take down the Gryffindor team."

"How? You aren't even on the team!" Claudia scoffed.

"I didn't say it made sense, did I?" Sirius smirked.

Claudia heard the door handle screech. She jumped up from Sirius' lap and dropped to the seat next to him. And just in time, as the head of Severus Snape emerged through the door frame. When he saw that Sirius and James were already in the classroom, he cursed and disappeared faster than a puff of smoke.

"I forgot to tell you." Sirius whispered as he watched the door shut behind Snape. "I've been to check out that cupboard again. There was fresh soot there. He must have been back."

"I've barely seen him since Christmas. I do wonder what he's up to." Claudia replied, then paused and looked in James' direction. Something had just occurred to her and she was not sure whether to continue her thought in front of him. "Do you think that it's maybe one of those trials? Like Marcus had to do?" She added, speaking so quietly that only Sirius could hear her.

"What would You-Know-Who want with him?" Sirius whispered back. Claudia noticed James stopped scribbling but kept his eyes firmly on the parchment. He was clearly listening to their conversation. But she decided to continue anyway.

"You underestimate him at your peril." Claudia frowned. "He basically knows more about potions than Slughorn already. And if he was to succeed in making whatever he's been given as an alchemy assignment."

"Elixir of immortality." Sirius jumped in. He was not laughing anymore. "That's what his assignment is."

There was a long pause. Even the mere thought of You-Know-Who in possession of the elixir of immortality was horrifying. The silence got interrupted by the door to the classroom creaking again. This time, it was Green – the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain – who walked in.

"Great." James growled and hastily put all his Quidditch papers back into his bag. "It's like the Captain's meeting here. Anyone else wants a peak of the Gryffindor tactics?" He added theatrically.

"Sod off, Potter." Green barked back and crashed into his seat. It made Claudia giggle. She was clearly not the only Quidditch captain that James was at odds with.

"Miss Avery. A moment." Dumbledore said at the end of the lesson. "How are you recuperating?" He asked. "Your injuries did not seem to affect you during the Quidditch game."

"I'm fine. Thank you, Sir." Claudia mumbled.

"Sit. Sit." Dumbledore implored her and pointed to a chair in front of the teacher's desk. "I was just curious. What are you planning to do after you leave school?" He asked.

"Well, I thought I might want to join the Ministry. Maybe. I haven't thought about it too much." That was a lie. She thought about it every Herbology lesson. Her ambition to become an auror was the only reason why she put herself through that particular nightmare on a weekly basis. It was taking all the determination she had.

"I see. You wish to continue the family tradition?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Not quite." Claudia laughed. "I thought. Maybe I want to apply to the Auror Office."

"Obvious choice." The Headmaster replied. "Given your extracurricular activities." He added with a wink. Claudia chuckled. It felt good, having the Headmaster treat her like an old accomplice. "An old friend spoke to me the other day." Dumbledore continued. "He was looking for suitable students to undertake summer placements at the Ministry. I took the liberty to mention your name."

"Did you?" Claudia gasped, her eyes wide. "I would absolutely love a summer placement there. Thank you."

"It might not exactly be in the Auror Office, but you might find it interesting regardless. If you do not mind running into your father every now and then." Dumbledore said significantly.

"I barely know what he is up to at the Ministry." Claudia replied.

"You are not the only one." Dumbledore said with a barely noticeable smirk. Before Claudia could ask what the Headmaster meant by that, Dumbledore continued. "I need to go. But my friend would like to have a chat with you. Expect a letter with a date and time."

"Like an interview?" Claudia asked, suddenly sounding bit flustered.

"Exactly like an interview." Replied Dumbledore, just as he vanished.

Claudia did not have to wait long for the note. Her interview was to take place on Friday, 11 March. That only gave her three weeks! Three weeks she was going to spent obsessing about and preparing for it. She remembered all too well her fake interview at the Daily Prophet office last year. Never again was she going through anything like that unprepared.

The best thing about it was not even the placement. If Claudia managed to get it, and Alice succeeded in her auror application, they would work in the same building! They could go for lunch. It would all be so proper and grown up. Alice was almost as excited about the prospect of that as Claudia. Or she would have been, if she managed to get her nose out of her NEWTs revision for one second.

The time passed in a flash and Claudia's Ministry interview was just few days away. Like every Tuesday morning, she had a free period and was planning to do some more preparation. But as she left the Great Hall after breakfast, she spotted Sirius. He was sitting on the stairs and holding a piece of parchment in his hands. He was pale and rigid. Claudia knew instantly that something was wrong.

"Is everything ok?" She whispered and brushed his shoulder. Sirius did not say a word and handed her the parchment. She stood over him and skimmed it.

_Dear Mr Black, _

_I am sorry to inform you that your uncle Alphard has passed away this weekend. He always spoke very highly of you and wanted me to tell you that he is very proud of the young man you have become._

_The funeral will take place at 12 noon this Friday, 11 March at the Abney Cemetery in Stoke Newington._

_His last will and testament be read at the office of Fisher & Barnes, the wizarding solicitors at 50 Church Street, N16 0NB, London._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Augustus F. Hawthorne_

"I'm sorry." Claudia said quietly, handed back the letter, and sat down next to Sirius. "I didn't know you had an uncle."

"He was my mother's brother." Sirius whispered on a verge of tears. "Him and my cousin Andromeda, were the only members of the family that were in any way nice to me." Sighed Sirius. "Didn't get to see him too much though. My mother didn't like him around."

Claudia looked around. They were alone so she reached for Sirius' hand and squeezed it.

"Is your mother going to come to the funeral?" Claudia asked.

"Not if it's in Stoke Newington she isn't." Sirius smirked. "It's the wrong sort of neighbourhood. Full of muggles and freaks." He added, imitating his mother's icy voice.

"I'll be in London for my Ministry interview that day. I can come with you." Claudia replied.

"James is coming too." Sirius said.

"We'll behave, I promise." Claudia jumped in before Sirius could say anything else. She heard some hushed voices, so she let go of Sirius' hand and moved a foot further away.

"I hate that we have to do this." Sirius growled and stood up.

"Let's get out of here." Claudia whispered. They snuck into the nearest classroom. Claudia gave Sirius a tight hug the moment they shut the door behind them. When she looked up at him, she felt a tear drop land on her cheek. And then another.

"I'm sorry." Sirius mumbled. "As my father says, boys don't cry."

"Your father is a moron." Claudia smiled. She stood up on her tiptoes and wiped his tears with her thumb. Then, she kissed him on the cheek. They spent the rest of the morning hiding in that classroom. Claudia was sitting on the floor, reading her interview notes. Sirius was lying with his head in her lap, still clutching onto the letter. Claudia was running her fingers through his hair, curling it absentmindedly around her fingers. It was moments like these that made her realise just how much she loved him. Whenever they were together, doing even the most ordinary thing, she felt at peace.

On Friday morning, Claudia got special dispensation to use one of the fireplaces to the travel to the Ministry of Magic. When she presented herself at reception, she could barely remember her name. Her palms were sweating, and her heart was beating million times a minute. However, it turned out that her nerves were not necessary. The interview was a complete joke. Oscar Murray, who was the man Dumbledore told her about, chatted with her for about ten minutes, asked about Dumbledore and then offered her a placement in the Minister's Private Office on the spot.

Somewhat annoyed that she spent so much time preparing for such a pointless meeting, Claudia slowly made her way up to Stoke Newington to meet with Sirius and James at the cemetery. It was a beautiful place, full of old gravestones and even older trees. Little paths ran through it in all sorts of directions. After a good half an hour, she finally found them. The funeral was about to start.

Claudia could scarcely believe her eyes when she saw Sirius. He looked exactly like you would expect the eldest son and heir of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black to look, if you did not know him. He was wearing a silver embroidered coat, a black shirt with a raised collar and his hair was all tidy and pulled back.

"You look very… Pureblood." Claudia said and planted a kiss on Sirius' cheek. James, who was standing next to him growled. Claudia shot him a warning look. She promised Sirius she would behave and was hoping that James would have enough sense to do the same.

"Uncle Alphard sent me this for Christmas." Sirius said glumly, tugging at the sleeve of the coat. "Seemed only appropriate that I wore it, even if it means I look like a fucking posh boy… How was the interview?"

"Complete joke." Claudia sniggered. "But they offered me the placement so I'm not complaining."

The officiant began speaking and the small congregation fell silent. Sirius gave Claudia a squeeze.

"Proud of you." He whispered.

There were not that many people at the funeral. At the centre of it, there was a man dressed in intricate dark grey robes, wearing oversized sunglasses that were presumably hiding his puffy eyes. He was surrounded by perhaps dozen other people, who were trying to support and console him. To little avail.

At the end of the service, this man walked up to Sirius.

"Young Sirius, I presume?" He said, his voice shaking. "I'm Augustus Hawthorne, your uncle's friend. He would have loved that you are here." He said and grabbed hold of Sirius' hand. "Shame no one else from the family came." He added bitterly.

"My condolences." Mumbled Sirius. "And I would take the family's absence as a compliment." That brought a fleeting smile to Augustus' face.

"You ought to come to the reading of the will." Augustus added. "Alphard was very clear. Make sure young Sirius comes to the reading, he said. He will hate it if my sister is there. But he needs to come." Augustus' voice was creaking again.

"I'll be there." Sirius reassured him, although a very noticeable line had appeared on his forehead when Augustus mentioned Walburga.

Augustus re-joined the crowd and the three teenagers set of to find the solicitors' office, which turned out to be just across the road from the entrance to the cemetery. As they were standing by the road, waiting to cross, a large car pulled up. The driver opened the door and Walburga had emerged, in her overpampered glory. With her fur coat and heavy jewels, she looked completely out of place in this muggle suburb.

"If she sees me here, I'm dead." Claudia whispered and dived behind James.

"I need to do this alone anyway." Sirius said resolutely and clenched his fists. "You two go wait for me in that Red Lion pub we passed earlier." He did not even wait for an answer. He stepped into the road and followed his mother inside the solicitors' office.

James and Claudia went to wait in the Red Lion as they were told. They were sitting as far away from each other as was possible on the table, and barely exchanged a word.

"I hope he's ok." Claudia whispered and glanced at her watch nervously. Not a minute later, Sirius stormed into the pub, his eyes flaming.

"We're going back to school." He barked. "Let's call the Knight Bus. I'm not staying here another minute." James picked up his coat and began to stand up.

"What happened?" Claudia asked, reached out for Sirius' hand, and made him sit down.

"My mother happened." Sirius growled, grabbed Claudia's beer, and downed it.

"Well, I figured as much." Claudia grimaced. "Care to specify?"

"Uncle Alphard left me bit of money." Sirius sighed. "Actually, a lot of money. Mother had some things to say about that."

"What did she say?" James pitched in. He too was sitting back at the table now.

"That she knew I wouldn't be able to make it on my own, and that I was always going to come crawling back for the family money." Sirius replied. "I can't take the inheritance." He added and held his head in his hands.

"That's exactly what she wants." Claudia whispered in his ear and put her arm around him. "It allows her to hold onto you. To hope that one day you will come back."

"I would never go back there! I'd rather starve to death." Sirius whispered into his hands, still refusing to look at either Claudia or James.

"I believe you." Claudia said gently and buried her hand in his hair. "But if you were to take it, you'd show her you're free. She would know she has no power over you."

Sirius finally raised his head and looked at his girlfriend.

"I could get my own place." He said, breaking into a tiny smile. "Somewhere I could finally call home." Claudia smiled back at him. Sirius planted a quick kiss on her cheek and stood up.

"Alright then. I'll go." He said resolutely. "Get a bottle of champagne. We'll have to celebrate."

"You get your own champagne." Claudia chuckled. "You're the rich one." She watched Sirius stride out of the pub. Then, she turned back to James, who was staring at her.

"He listened to you." James uttered. "He actually listened to you."

"So?" Claudia shrugged. "It's been known to happen before."

Sirius came back not fifteen minutes later. He grabbed Claudia in his arms and without a word gave her a long and passionate kiss.

"You were right." He whispered when he finally let go of her. "The look on my mother's face when I signed the papers. Priceless."

"Shall I get the champagne?" James piped up, still looking uncomfortable in their presence.

"No time." Sirius shook his head. "Augustus invited us to the wake. We have to get going."

They left the pub. After about ten minutes, Sirius pointed at a large townhouse. "Here it is. Sixty-six Milton Grove." The moment they stepped into the hallway, it was clear that this was no ordinary wake. It was more like a party. The music was loud, there was funky food and even some dancing.

"This Augustus bloke is my uncle's partner." Sirius said and pointed at a photograph of the two of them in the hallway. "Suddenly, all of my mother's jibes make sense." He added frowning. "Bigoted old toerag."

They managed to find some drinks and a sofa to sit down on. Sirius went to get some food but got caught in the crowd and was chatting to his uncle's friends. Claudia was watching him. She could not stop smiling. She was so proud of him. Happy for him. He was truly free from his awful family.

The stuffy coat was off, the stiff shirt collar unbuttoned, his hair was back to normal. She always liked Sirius for his personality, and barely noticed how good-looking he was. She certainly noticed now. She chuckled and reached for her drink, still unable to take her eyes off him

"You actually like him…" James interrupted her train of thoughts. Claudia briefly looked at him and smiled.

"I love him." She whispered, as she turned her head back to look at Sirius again. This time, he caught her eye, excused himself and made his way back to where James and Claudia were sitting. He dropped onto the sofa next to his girlfriend.

"When I die, I want a funeral exactly like this one." He laughed and wrapped his arm around her. "Everyone is pissed and having time of their lives."

"I'll keep that in mind." Claudia chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Fine." James exhaled. Claudia turned back to him. She had little idea what he was on about. "You two win. I'll tolerate this."


	30. Chapter 30 (The Marauders)

**The Marauders**

Before Claudia even realised, it was just one week to Easter and with it came the conclusion of the Alchemy competition. She was horrified – they still had so much to do! The last thing she wanted was to stand in front of Dumbledore and Slughorn empty-handed.

On Monday evening, Claudia and Sirius were in the Alchemy lab, doing some last-minute research before they were to try making the potash that needed to be added to the mixture they made earlier. It was not easy. Alchemy was chaos. There was no universally agreed recipe for anything. They had to read dozens of books and pick the most reliable method for each step. It was by far the most complicated thing that Claudia had to do at school, and they were running out of time.

It was nearing eight o'clock and they barely started. Sirius was becoming increasingly agitated. He was glancing at this watch every thirty seconds.

"I have to go." He finally mumbled.

"Where?" Claudia frowned. She could hardly imagine anything more important than trying to get this project finished.

"The guys. I promised I meet them tonight." Sirius replied, unusually meekly.

"Why tonight?" Claudia barked. "We literally have two days to figure this out."

"I'm sorry." Sirius whispered. "I just have to go."

"Would you at least tell me why?" Claudia asked, becoming increasingly frustrated with him. Sirius looked at her but did not say a word. "Fine." Claudia added. "Keep your dumb secrets."

"Please don't be annoyed." Sirius whispered and kissed her on the cheek. For the first time since they started dating, Claudia pulled away slightly. He was not going to buy her off that easily.

"Just go." She hissed. "I can do this by myself." She added and buried her face in the alchemy book and did not raise her head when Sirius left the classroom.

She really did not want to be that sort of girlfriend – to tell him what to do and how to behave. She knew what she was getting herself into, dating Sirius Black. He never did as he was told or played by the rules. She may have even liked him because of that. But at this moment, she wished with all her heart that he would just listen to her and finished that stupid project, rather than running off like that and getting into trouble.

"He better not get himself into detention for tomorrow." She mumbled.

Claudia was still very annoyed with Sirius when they resumed working on the alkahest the following evening. But she got a special dispensation from Slughorn to use the lab all night if she needed to and was absolutely determined not to let Sirius out of there until they were finished. Not even for dinner.

"I found a better spell yesterday to alter the evaporated sea salt." She hissed the moment Sirius emerged through the door of the lab.

"Hey." He whispered. Claudia barely looked at him. Instead, she pointed her wand at the container full of raw salt.

_"Visio Electri Solution."_ She said resolutely. The substance barely changed.

"Are you sure that worked?" Sirius asked.

"Yes." Claudia frowned. "And if you read the book I found in the library, you would know that visually this spell does nothing. But it breaks down the components of the salt into something we can use." Sirius did not dare ask anything else. He sat down at desk and began going through their notes. Claudia opened one of the alchemy books and began double-checking what the next step was supposed to be.

Not half an hour minutes later, James, Remus and Peter walk through the door of the lab.

"What are you doing here?" Claudia asked wearily. The potash was difficult enough, she did not need a distraction.

"We brought you food." James replied.

"You did what?" Claudia just did not understand.

"Food." James repeated. "You missed dinner."

"Oh. OK." Claudia mumbled. Still somewhat perplexed. She did not expect anyone, let alone James Potter, to bring her dinner.

"And we felt bad about yesterday." James added. Claudia even managed to raise a tiny smile. She reached for the plate James was holding out and grabbed and sandwich. She studied their faces for a sign of laughter and seeing none, she took a bite. Surprisingly, it tasted rather nice.

"You finished your project, James?" She asked, her voice somewhat softer.

"Lily isn't letting me anywhere near the panacea." James frowned.

"Has she actually managed to make it?" Claudia was desperate to find out whether she still had any chance of winning that competition.

"I think it's just some healing potion." James shrugged. "But she wouldn't tell me. She's been very angry lately."

"Mate, she's been angry with you for the last six years." Sirius chuckled. "How is this news?"

"This is different." James frowned. "She seems sort of flustered and angry with herself, mostly. I'm just collateral damage."

Claudia stopped listening to them, hoping desperately that this was not a sign that Lily liked James back. She was just about getting used to him and having to hang out with her filled Claudia with dread. She submerged herself in the book again but did not get the chance to concentrate for long.

"What's this?" Peter peaked over Sirius' shoulder and reached out towards the transfigured cauldron full of quicklime.

"Don't touch it." Claudia barked. Peter frowned at her but did as he was told.

"Thank you for the food, boys." Sirius said. "But we got to get cracking." He added and began ushering Peter and the other two out of the lab. "Before someone cracks." He added with a chuckle. Claudia shot him a warning look. It was just like him to drive her up the wall and then have the audacity to mock her about it.

"Do you want any help?" Remus asked as he stood on the threshold of the lab.

"That's alright, my friend." Sirius laughed and patted Remus on the shoulder. "You've bailed me out enough times already. It's time I did my own homework."

"Right." Remus gave him a fleeting smile. "Good for you."

"Come on." James wrapped his arm around Remus' shoulders. "He doesn't want us anymore. He found an even bigger know-it-all to do his homework for him."

"If only." Sirius laughed. "I'm stuck doing my own homework. That's what I get for falling in love with a Slytherin." For the first time that evening, Claudia made eye contact with Sirius and chuckled.

Remus gave Sirius a fleeting smile and shut the door behind him. They were alone again.

"Your friends are alright." Claudia whispered.

She moved over to the alchemy oven. The last step in making the potash was to treat the salt-like substance above the flames of a fire. It had something to do with depriving it of oxygen, which was one of the substances in the air. All of this sounded like muggle science and went way over both of their heads.

Finally, they had all they needed. The potash was ready to be mixed with the substance of quicklime and alcohol. It was time to make the alkahest. They tried a ratio recommended in one of the more reputable books and carefully added few drops of the resulting mixture into a simple Pepper Up Potion. It did nothing.

They kept tweaking the proportions of the two substances until the morning, trying it on a variety of potions. Nothing worked. It was now well past six o'clock. Sirius was sleeping on the desk. Claudia was frustrated, hot, and exhausted but kept herself going. The desire to put something passable in front of Dumbledore and Slughorn was overwhelming.

"One more try." She whispered as she dropped some alkahest into a potion, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"It's doing something!" Claudia screamed. That startled Sirius awake, and he moved over to peek into the cauldron. "It's split." Claudia exhaled. "We can try adding bit more…" She began to say and reached for the potash.

"No." Sirius shook his head, grabbed Claudia from behind and hugged her tight. "You'll ruin it. It's kind of working. Let's leave it."

"But it could be better…" Claudia began to protest. "I'm sure of it."

"Let's just go to bed." Sirius yawned.

"By the time we tidy up here, it will be time for breakfast." Claudia scoffed.

"Fine, you go to bed then." Sirius said. "I'll clean up this mess."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Go to bed. There is too much temptation for you here." Sirius added, nodding his head towards their creation.

His arms were still wrapped around Claudia, he moved them up to her shoulders and marched her out of the lab. They stopped on the threshold and Claudia turned towards him.

"If we could just try one more…" She uttered and tried to get back inside. But she did not get to it. Sirius kissed her.

"Bed." He whispered as his lips parted with Claudia's.

"Just bit more of the potash…" She pleaded with him. "I'm sure it will work." Sirius kissed Claudia again and pushed her out of the lab.

"Bed." He repeated even more resolutely, took few steps back and shut the door in her face.

"Let me back in!" Claudia banged on the door. There was no response, so she sat down on the steps. There was no way she was going to listen to him now. She rested her head on the wall and closed her eyes.

When Claudia woke up, she was not on the steps to the Alchemy lab anymore. She was on the lounger in the prefects' bathroom. She looked around and had the shock of her life – she had no body. It took her a while to realise that this was not some stress-induced dream. She was just sleeping under the invisibility cloak.

"How did I get here?" She asked sleepily.

"How do you think?" Sirius replied as his head emerged from the pool. "You're heavier than you look."

"What's the time?" Claudia yawned and stretched. Her back was hurting.

"Eight-fifteen." Sirius smiled and pulled himself out of the pool.

"We need to prepare the presentation." Claudia scrambled to her feet.

"You need to take a bath and eat something." Sirius replied and wrapped a towel around his waist.

"But. We need to think about what we say." Claudia protested.

"I'm nearly done with a draft. I'll finish it now." Sirius said. "You can look over it at breakfast. But you really do need to wash." He added and began unbuttoning Claudia's shirt. "You look like you've crawled through a chimney."

"I'm sure your draft is fine." She whispered and wrapped her arms around Sirius' neck. They have now been dating over three months, but his touch still made her skin tingle. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. She had no chance resisting him when he was just covered in a towel.

They just about made it to the class on time. And it was very lucky that they did, as there was a special guest helping Professor Dumbledore and Professor Slughorn to judge the competition. The famous alchemist, Nicholas Flamel! The only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone. Claudia never experienced this feeling before. She was starstruck.

Everyone did their presentations, the three judges examined all the four projects in ridiculous detail, and after a couple of hours, it was finally time for the announcement. Green and Julius managed to get absolutely nothing for the metal transmutation projects. Snape's creation did not look like it would please You-Know-Who in the slightest, if the elixir was his test as Claudia suspected. Lily created some kind of healing potion that was about as close to the panacea as Claudia was to becoming the Queen of England. Maybe their split potion did have a chance after all.

"And the winner is…" Professor Dumbledore began to say. Claudia reached under the table and grabbed Sirius' hand. This was nerve-raking. "Alchemy!" The Headmaster laughed. The whole class groaned. "Nothing to be ashamed of. Alchemy is a difficult subject. It would have been extraordinary if any of you succeeded". Dumbledore added.

"Albus, if I may." Professor Slughorn jumped in. Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope. "I would like to award a special commendation to Miss Evans and Mr Potter. It is not quite the panacea, but that healing potion is outstanding and based on at least one alchemic principle. If I'm not mistaken." Lily chuckled.

Claudia was beside herself with rage. She stormed off to the storeroom to tidy up her things, hoping the rest of the class would disperse before she came out. Sirius followed her in few minutes later.

"It's not fair." Claudia growled. "We got further than she did. If only you let me add some more of the potash." Sirius put his fingers across his lips. "Don't you dare shush me." Claudia whispered menacingly.

"Shush." Sirius implored her quietly. "The teachers have come back." They both pressed their ear against the door and listened.

"They almost got there, Albus." They heard a soft voice with a hint of a French accent. It was Flamel. "They just needed higher-density quicklime, and that potash needed to be treated in the oven longer. They might have had something half decent. Not the real thing, of course, but something that might do a reasonable job on the easy stuff."

"You mean Black and Avery?" They heard Dumbledore ask.

"Oh, I don't remember their names." Flamel replied. "The tall, dark-haired boy and the girl with short hair. The couple." Claudia saw Sirius' eyes go as wide as hers.

"They are a couple?" Dumbledore sounded surprised. "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm six hundred and fifty years old, Albus." Flamel chuckled in response. "I can tell when teenagers are trying to hide a relationship."

"Now you say that, Nicholas." Slughorn pitched in. "I caught them skulking around the potions storeroom a while back. They definitely looked like more than just friends to me then."

"Interesting." They barely heard Dumbledore's reply. The teachers must have been leaving the classroom again.

"Busted." Sirius whispered as they heard the door shut.

"Lucky that no-one on my Quidditch team has an ounce of emotion awareness." Claudia sighed.

"Or is six hundred and fifty years old." Sirius added and laughed. "By the way, the lack of potash was not the problem after all." He teased her.

"Oh, shut up." Claudia hissed but could not help but laugh a little with him. Her heart was not really in it though. She was worried they have been reckless. All of Sirius' friends knew, Alice knew, Eleanor knew. And now Dumbledore, Slughorn and Flamel of all people. If that list got any longer, who knew how much longer they would be able to keep their secret. Claudia did not even want to imagine what would happen if people found out.

For the Easter holiday, Claudia convinced her mother to let her stay at school. Sirius and his friends were staying too, and with the school almost empty, it was much easier to hang out with them without inviting too many questions. One afternoon, they were all sitting in the grounds. Remus and Peter were engaged in a game of wizard chess. James was watching them, playing with a snitch. Sirius was leaning against a tree, with Claudia resting her head on his leg and reading a book.

"Avery." James turned to her. "I was meaning to ask you. What is Snivellus up to? I heard you mention something, and he won't tell me a thing." He gestured towards Sirius.

Claudia sat up and exchanged a look with her boyfriend. Then she examined James' face. She had nothing to lose telling him. Not all of it, of course. But he seemed to hate Snape as much as anyone and might be actually able to help her.

"Other than trying to kill me." Claudia began. Remus looked up from the chessboard. "He seems dead set on joining the Death Eaters." She whispered.

"The Death who?" Peter piped up.

"Death Eaters." Sirius said impatiently. "Really, do keep up."

"You-Know-Who's followers." Remus added, when Peter looked none wiser after Sirius' 'explanation'.

"I know he's into dark arts and shit, but joining the Death Eaters? How does one even do that?" James asked.

"I think everyone gets some sort of trial from You-Know-Who to prove that they would make a worthy follower." Claudia sighed.

"What kind of trial?" Remus jumped in.

"Finding or making some powerful weapon." She replied. "Anything that would make You-Know-Who stronger."

"We thought Snivellus might be working on the Elixir of Immortality for him." Sirius shuddered. "But his attempt in the Alchemy class was really pathetic."

Claudia frowned. Something had occurred to her.

"Almost too pathetic, if you ask me." She said. "I really do think we need to keep an eye on him." No one seemed to disagree with that.

"Are there any others?" James asked, looking disgusted. "Someone helping him?"

Claudia gave Sirius another look. She was not ready to tell them about Marcus. They just about started to be civil to her. If they found out what her brother and father were, Claudia suspected that this sentiment would not last long. For all their faults, she could see the hatred of You-Know-Who and dark magic in their eyes. But there was another reason why she was looking at her boyfriend. His younger brother.

"There are couple others in Slytherin, who are into the pureblood nonsense. Enough to be tempted into my brother's old cabal. Marauding around the school…" Claudia did not get to finish that sentence. All the boys started giggling.

"What?" She barked. She really disliked being laughed at.

"Nothing." James chortled.

"Come on. Tell me!" She insisted.

"Marauders." Sirius said. "That's our nickname. That's what we call ourselves."

"That's a dumb nickname." Claudia rolled her eyes. "What are you? Ten years old?" The boys began giggling even more.

"You were talking about your brother's old cabal." Remus finally managed to stop laughing.

"Right." Claudia remembered. "The stupid gang that Snape is now in charge of. It gained a couple of members last year. They might be on a similar path to Snape." She paused, weighing up her words carefully. "Regulus was one of them."

"Nonsense." Sirius laughed. "He's just trying to make himself interesting. There is no way he would actually join the Death Eaters."

"I hope you're right." Claudia sighed.

"Positive. The only reason why he likes this pureblood nonsense is to suck up to our mother." Sirius insisted. "He would never do anything as stupid as actually joining You-Know-Who." There was a long pause. No one dared to contradict Sirius on this. "Anyway. We should head back for lunch." He added, jumped up from the ground and began to make his way to the castle. He walked fast, not giving anyone else in the group the opportunity to catch-up and talk to him.

That did nothing to increase Claudia's confidence in the assertions Sirius had just made. Regulus had changed and who knew who he was these days. She could see from Sirius' behaviour that he was worried too.

After they finished their meal and were on their way out of the Great Hall, James grabbed hold of Claudia's arm.

"Do you have a minute?" He whispered.

"You agree with me, don't you?" Claudia's eyes narrowed. "About Regulus."

"I do." James whispered. "But that's not what I want to talk to you about." He glanced around, looking incredibly nervous. Eventually, he found the courage to speak again. "You used to hate me, right?"

"Yes." Claudia chuckled nervously, really not sure where this was heading.

"What made you like me?" James continued, seemingly undeterred.

"Who said I like you?" Claudia laughed. Seeing a serious expression on James' face, she took pity on him and continued. "Once you let people past that dickhead persona of yours, you're alright. Why do you ask?"

"There is a girl I like." James grimaced. Claudia had never seen him look this uncertain. "But she really hates me."

"Is this Evans?" Claudia winced. "I really don't know what you see in her." James raised an eyebrow. "Fine, she's pretty." Claudia rolled her eyes.

"So pretty." James gushed. "And kind. And smart. Every time I see her smile, my day becomes just that little bit better."

"Good grief." Claudia laughed. "You're a hopeless romantic, Potter." She paused. "Just try to be more like this in front of her, and less, you know..."

"Less of a dickhead?" James asked, uncertainly.

"Indeed." Claudia chuckled.

The rest of the Easter break was quite blissful. The weather was beautiful. Claudia got to study for her exams in relative peace. She got to hang out with Sirius and his friends, who were becoming more bearable with every passing day. Even James was growing on her.

Soon, April gave way to May and Slytherin's final game of the season was upon them. It went considerably better than the same game the year before. Leanne was not playing, which meant that Claudia and the rest of the Slytherin team were able to keep their heads. Regulus was on his best behaviour and run circles around the Hufflepuff seeker all game. As a result, Slytherin annihilated Hufflepuff by two-hundred and fifty points. It was all to play for in the last game between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. If Gryffindor got more than a hundred and fifty points, they would win the Cup. If they got less than that, the Cup would be Slytherin's.

"This is going to be nerve-racking few weeks." Claudia said to the team as they relaxed in their changing room after the game. She knew that there was nothing she could do to affect the outcome of the last game. But that did not make it any easier. In fact, it made it much harder. She hated not being in control.

The only thing preventing Claudia from spiralling completely was the fact that she was turning seventeen in few days. Finally, she was going to be of age and free from the grasp of her awful family.


	31. Chapter 31 (Coming of Age)

**Coming of Age **

_Bonus chapter on top of what I published yesterday, as UK Christmas basically just got cancelled. Which makes me sad. And this chapter makes me (mostly) happy. Happy Holidays!_

_UPDATE: I think I may have confused things slightly by publishing two chapters this week. If the last thing you read was Alphard's funeral, go one chapter back. If you've read about the end of the alchemy completion, keep going._

* * *

After classes on the second Monday in May, the day before Claudia's Birthday, Sirius run up to her in the corridor. Claudia could swear she never saw him smile quite this broadly.

"Come with me." He whispered, led her to the third floor and stopped abruptly in front of a statue of an old witch. He mumbled a spell and the statue opened revealing a short slide. "After you, m'lady." He smirked.

"Where are we going?" Claudia asked sceptically.

"I told you we'll celebrate your Birthday properly." Sirius smirked. "Can hardly do that here."

"Are we sneaking out of school?" Claudia's eyes widened. She was hardly a model student but had nothing on Sirius in terms of rule-breaking.

"Everything has been planned." Sirius reassured her. "Immaculately."

"Are you serious?" She gasped.

"Serious is my middle name. Actually, my first name." Sirius chuckled and extended his hand. Claudia began to reach out for it. "We'll be back before anyone notices. We both got a free period tomorrow morning."

"We'll be gone overnight?" Claudia drew her hand back and stepped away from the statue. "People will notice! My room mates will not cover for me…"

"They won't even know you're gone." Sirius smirked. "I told you. Everything has been planned immaculately."

"Your friends better not be Polyjuicing into me." Claudia frowned.

"It was suggested." Sirius chuckled. "But I vetoed it…"

"I have no spare clothes." Claudia found another thing to protest about.

"You do." Sirius pointed at his bag. "Even the laundry house-elves can be bribed." Claudia could not help but laugh. He really seemed to have thought of everything. "If we get caught, I'll say I've kidnapped you." Sirius added.

"Fine." Claudia giggled and grabbed Sirius' hand. "Lead the way." They slid down a slide and made their way down a tunnel. It took them a good hour before they emerged in the cellar of Huneydukes Sweetshop. They snuck out of the shop under the invisibility cloak and walked to the edge of the village.

"Hold on tight." Sirius squeezed her hand. Before Claudia could even ask why, the world around her swirled violently. She landed on her knees in an unfamiliar alleyway. Tall stone buildings were towering on either side of her. She had no idea where they were.

"Welcome to Edinburgh." Sirius whispered.

They bought some fish and chips, wrapped in an old newspaper, from a street vendor. That was what the muggles did, apparently.

"Let's go somewhere with a view." Sirius said and led Claudia up a hill overlooking the city. The view was indeed beautiful. Just as the sun began to set, they sat down on a blanket. They shared a bottle of wine that Sirius produced from the depth of his bag and ate their dinner. They may have had no table or chairs, no glasses, and were eating their food from old newspapers on the ground. But to Claudia, this was the most perfect Birthday dinner imaginable. They were together.

"What else do you have in there?" Claudia laughed when she noticed Sirius was rummaging through his bag again.

"I want us to be able to remember this." He whispered and took out a camera. "Forever."

They messed around taking pictures. Claudia was balancing on the edge of the hill, pretending she was flying over the city. Sirius was trying to see how many chips he managed to stick into his mouth at the same time. They tried to take a picture of themselves kissing. But it was nearly impossible, the wind was picking up and their hair was flying everywhere.

"I want to do magic already!" Claudia yelled at the top of her lungs. They were too far from anywhere. She was sure no one could hear or see them. It was liberating

"Three and a half hours is all you have to wait." Sirius said, glancing at his watch. It was getting late and chilly. Claudia shivered.

Sirius picked up his leather jacket.

"You'll be cold." She protested. "I'm fine."

"This is not up for discussion." Sirius whispered, wrapped his jacket around Claudia's shoulders and pulled her closer to him by the lapels. A kiss rarely tasted so sweet. Claudia had no idea how long they stayed up there making out. All she knew was that they finished the wine.

Suddenly, she felt a raid drop on her face. Then another.

"Please tell me we have somewhere to sleep." She whispered.

"Will you ever trust me?" Sirius laughed and began to pack up their things. "Of course, we have somewhere to sleep." They run down the hill. The more it rained, the faster they run. When they finally got back into town, Sirius dragged Claudia into a side street. He lifted a flowerpot in front of one of the houses and found a key.

"Relax. It's a guesthouse and I've rented a room." Sirius chuckled, when he noticed the sceptical look on his girlfriend's face. "The owner said to take this key if we come after hours." He kissed her. Between the running and the wine, Claudia was feeling somewhat light-headed. The kissing did not make that any better. "If anyone asks, we're married." Sirius added and unlocked the door.

"What? Why?" Claudia asked as she followed him.

"Because otherwise, we're sleeping in the street." He chuckled. "Muggles are quite strict about these things." He added, grabbed her hand, and led her up the stairs to the top floor.

Claudia opened the door to their room. It was small, the décor was very dated, but it was adorable. She turned and saw Sirius lock the door behind him and lean against it. The streetlamp that was just outside of their window was illuminating him. Claudia noticed than that he was soaking wet. She watched him run his hand through his wet her. His clothes went sticking to him. He was impossible to resist at the best of times. This was unbearable.

Clumsily, they thrown off their wet clothes and collapsed on the bed, kissing.

"Can I try something?" Sirius grinned.

"Well, that rather depends on what 'it' is." Claudia whispered.

Sirius grinned even more broadly and kissed her. Then, he moved his lips to her neck. She could feel the trail that his breath left on her body. It was excruciating. He kissed her shoulder, her chest, her stomach. But he did not stop there.

Claudia bit her lip. Her back arched. Whatever it was Sirius was trying, she did not want him to stop. Ever.

Eventually, Claudia collapsed back into the pillow. Sirius emerged back from the duvet, looking incredibly pleased with himself. Claudia groaned and turned over onto her stomach. He run his fingers up her lower back, her spine, until he was on top of her. He squeezed her in his arms and kissed her neck.

"This is nice." Claudia whispered and arched her body into his.

"Is it?" Sirius quipped and slid his hand down to hold onto her hip.

"I like the angle." Claudia chuckled. The wine has clearly taken away any remaining inhibitions she had. And she did not have that many of them in the first place. At least when it came to this.

"Angle?" Sirius laughed. "Am I an astronomy project to you?" He muttered and continued to leave a trail of kisses on her shoulder and neck.

"Your stupid name ruined astronomy for me." Claudia whispered back. "Brightest star in the sky." She mocked him. "I haven't been able to concentrate in that class for the entirety of the fifth year. Had to drop it."

"I'm so not sorry." Sirius whispered in her ear, just before she felt him inside of her. "Distracting you is my favourite activity."

What followed was very distracting indeed. With every fibre of her body, Claudia could feel they were getting close. Sirius moved both of his hands onto her lower back and pinned her down. She never felt such intense pleasure in her life.

"I don't think I can ever move again." She uttered with difficulty, when Sirius crumpled on top of her, panting heavily. He did not even look like he was capable of a reply. He just groaned, rolled over and crashed into the bed next to her.

That, however, was a mistake. The bed creaked and with a bang, they rolled onto the ground. The leg of the bed must have broken off. Neither Sirius nor Claudia cared in the slightest. Instead, they broke down into a fit of laughter.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Sirius managed to get on all fours, find his wand and restore the bed to its original state. Claudia managed to climb back under the duvet and watched him struggle to put his trousers on. They were clearly more drunk that either of them realised. There was another loud knock.

"Coming." Sirius growled towards the door. Claudia chuckled into the pillow.

"What's the commotion?" An angry voice asked. It must have been the owner, or a disgruntled guest whose sleep they interrupted. Claudia could not look. She pulled the duvet over her head. Anything to stop laughing.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sirius replied sleepily.

"I heard a crash!" The angry man continued.

"Shush." Sirius implored him. "You'll wake up my wife."

"What is it, honey?" Claudia asked, pretending to yawn.

"Nothing. Apparently, someone's causing trouble." Sirius replied. "Goodnight." He added and shut the door into the man's face. Seconds later, he collapsed back into bed and hugged Claudia again. She was so comfortable, so warm, so tired. Her head was spinning.

"How much longer to midnight?" She whispered. "I want to stay up. Do some magic."

"Twenty minutes." Sirius replied. Claudia purred and shuffled herself even closer to Sirius' warm body. Just twenty minutes and she will be of age.

"Happy Birthday." She heard Sirius whisper in her ear.

"Is it midnight already?" Claudia yawned and opened her eyes.

"It's the morning." Sirius chuckled.

Claudia turned towards him and frowned. She really wanted to stay up past midnight.

"Don't you frown at me." Sirius laughed. "I tried waking you up three times at midnight and you told me to fuck off and let you sleep."

Claudia squinted and tried to remember. He may have been right. A snippet or two of that conversation was coming back to her.

Claudia extracted herself from Sirius' embrace and rummaged through the wet pile of clothes they left on the ground for her wand. She pointed it at a horrid vase.

"Wingardium Leviosa." Claudia muttered the incantation and the vase begin to float in mid-air. She grinned. It was a pathetic spell to try, but she could not think of anything else in the moment.

Suddenly, Claudia heard a click. She turned to Sirius, who was grinning at her from behind the camera. Claudia tried to snatch it from him. After all, she was barely covered in the duvet. But Sirius outstretched his arm to move the camera away and grabbed her with his other arm.

Claudia climbed on top of him and kissed him, hoping to distract him long enough to steal the camera and take some pictures of him in retaliation. But Sirius was on guard. He dropped the camera to the floor, wrapped his other arm around her and turned them both over. They made love again.

"I'm starving." Sirius sighed, as they were both resting in each other's arms. "Let's go for breakfast."

They just about managed to take a shower, dry their clothes, and make their way down to the dining room.

The moment they got to the doorway, everyone stopped eating and stared at them. Then, the chatter started.

"The youth these days…" Uttered an old woman in a hideous emerald dress.

"The whole hotel could hear them…" Her companion added.

"I bet you they aren't even married…" A tall gentleman pitched in from another table.

"Scandalous…" Added the waitress.

Claudia did not wait for any more chatter. She backed out of the dining room and dragged Sirius with her. She was horrified.

"Breakfast elsewhere?" Sirius said casually like nothing had happened.

"How does this not bother you?" Claudia blushed.

"I don't know these people. Will never see them again." Sirius shrugged. "Their gossip isn't going to stop me from doing what I want." He smirked, pinned her against the wall and kissed her passionately. Claudia could not help but envy his attitude.

They shared a breakfast in a tiny café and spent the morning walking around town. They held hands whenever they wanted. They kissed whenever they wanted. Despite the horrible weather, it was the most divine Birthday morning Claudia had ever experienced.

Just after eleven o'clock, it was time to go back, and they set off to find a quiet spot to apparate from. Just before they turned off from the busy street, Sirius' eyes have lit up.

"I've wanted this for years." He said, pointing manically towards a motorbike. "This model. It's old, but just beautiful." A shadow crossed his face. "But the stupid muggles will only sell it to me when I'm nineteen."

"Plenty of other ways for you to kill yourself until then." Claudia quipped. She loved Sirius very much but could not quite see him observing the rules of the road. Whatever the rules were.

Chuckling, they finally made it to a quiet side street. Claudia placed her hands on Sirius' chest.

"I don't want to go back." She whispered and her forehead on Sirius' chest. "This is too perfect."

"It's just few more weeks." Sirius replied and hugged her tight.

"And then what?" Claudia looked up at him.

"Then you can come live with me." Sirius smiled at her.

"What? At the Potters?" She smirked.

"Uncle Alphard's money has come through." He replied. "I'm going to get my own flat. Something small in London."

Claudia opened her mouth. She was about to list all the reasons why it was a bad idea. Why it would never work. But she just could not think of anything. Not in that moment. Then, a horrifying thought occurred to her.

"Can I just check." She uttered. "You aren't saying we should get married, are you?"

"No." Sirius laughed. "Can you imagine?" He added. Claudia really could not imagine that and struggled to keep a straight face. "Think about it. The living together. Not the getting married." Sirius whispered, still chuckling, and kissed her. "Ready?" He added and outstretched his arm.

"I'm doing this myself." Claudia grinned.

"Of course, you are." Sirius rolled his eyes.

He barely finished that sentence before Claudia could feel the world swirl around her again. And before she knew it, she landed on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Within seconds, Sirius joined her. They snuck back into Honeydukes and to school.

Claudia had absolutely no idea what happened in the afternoon classes. She just about managed to recover some composure ahead of dinner. And right in time, because her friends prepared her a little celebration in the Great Hall. Eleanor made cake. Pauline spiked the pumpkin juice with firewhiskey.

They chatted about nothing and laughed like seventeen years old should. At the end of the evening, it was just Alice and Claudia left at the table.

"What did you get from your boyfriend?" Alice chuckled.

"Nothing much." Claudia blushed. "But it was perfect." She added in a barely audible whisper. She told Alice about the trip. About their picnic dinner. About their aimless strolling through Edinburgh.

"I don't recognise you." Alice smirked.

"I know I should know better than break rules like this, being a prefect and all." Claudia sighed. "But he just makes it so easy."

"Not what I meant." Alice replied. "You just seem so happy." She tried to smile but her face was telling a different story.

"Are you ok?" Claudia asked.

"I don't want to ruin your party with my sorrows." Alice replied.

"Don't be ridiculous." Claudia poked Alice with her elbow. "Remember how much misery I dumped on you over the last two years?"

"Fine." Alice could not help but chuckle. "I think Joseph might be thinking about proposing to me in the summer."

"You don't look like you want him to." Claudia said, studying her best friend's face.

"I barely know him." Alice sighed. "We haven't even…" She began to say but could not even finish that sentence. "How am I supposed to make that decision?"

"You have to be sure, Alice. You can't agree to marry someone if you aren't sure you love them." Claudia whispered. "And I know that sex isn't everything, but the closeness it can bring. With the right person…"

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"When I was with Julius." Claudia paused. She had never spoke about this to anyone. And for a good reason, it was excruciatingly embarrassing. "It was so awkward, you just kind of wait for it to be over so that you can get on with your day. But now, when we are just laying in bed afterwards. It's the most beautiful feeling in the world and you just never want that moment to end."

"Do you think you and Sirius will get married?" Alice smiled.

"No." Claudia chuckled and shook her head. "But that's just because I'm never getting married. Can you even imagine me being someone's wife?" She asked with visible distain on her face.

"You and Sirius are perfect for each other. I don't really understand how. But you just are." Alice whispered. "I want something like that in my life."

"And you will find it." Claudia said and put her arm around Alice. "Maybe not with Joseph, but you will find it."

"What should I do about him?" Alice sighed.

"If there is anything, I learned from this whole Julius fiasco." Claudia began. "It is not to drag it out. If you don't want to be with him, then break it off."

"You're right." Alice sighed.

"This is weird, isn't it?" Claudia chuckled. "Me giving you relationship advice."

"A little." Alice laughed. "What has my life come to?" Claudia hugged her best friend and they laughed together. Soon after, the caretaker chucked them out of the Great Hall, and they went their separate ways.

When Claudia got back to her dormitory, she found a small package on her bed. She tore open the wrapping. It was a small album with all the pictures they took in Edinburgh. Claudia barely recognised herself. Alice was right. She looked truly happy. And so did Sirius.

The following morning, Claudia was still dazed when she walked into the Great Hall. Within seconds though, she knew that something was terribly wrong. Alice run to meet her by the door, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Eleanor and Lucy are both in the hospital wing." She sobbed. "Unconscious. They collapsed last night."

Claudia followed Alice to the hospital wing as fast as she could. Deep-down, she hoped that Alice was exaggerating, and Eleanor and Lucy were going to be fine. But when she saw there pale, lifeless bodies lying in their hospital beds, she began to cry too.

"It's just like the two Hufflepuffs in February, Albus." They heard Madame Pomfrey's voice. "And the Gryffindor few weeks back. Same symptoms. No obvious cause."

Claudia could not hear anything else, just faint whispers. Not a minute later, Madame Pomfrey strolled in to join them by Eleanor's bed.

"You were with them last night, weren't you?" Madame Pomfrey asked. Alice and Claudia nodded in unison. "Tell me everything." The matron added.

"We all ate and drank the same things." Alice began. "And then we all went back to our common rooms at about eight-thirty."

"Did you eat or drink anything unusual?" Madame Pomfrey narrowed her eyes. Claudia knew where this was heading.

"There may have been some firewhiskey in the pumpkin juice." She whispered, avoiding the matron's eye. "It was my Birthday."

"I'll deal with that later." Madame Pomfrey frowned. "Now, get out of here. I need to look after my patients. They should be fine. I've started them on some complex antidotes."

They walked out of the hospital wing, but Claudia did not make it far. She leaned against the wall and slit down to sit. Her legs betrayed her and she was in tears again.

"They'll be fine. You've heard Madame Pomfrey." Alice tried to reassure her.

"I know." Claudia sighed. Still, she felt overwhelming guilt. Not because of the firewhiskey. What if Snape, or whoever made an attempt on her life earlier, was trying to get to her again and messed up. It was one thing putting herself in danger. But another thing entirely to do that to her friends.

"You need some fresh air." Alice lifted Claudia off the floor, put her arms around her shoulders and steered her friend toward the courtyard.

Just as they got to the first floor, they stumbled upon a commotion. Green was shouting insults and throwing hexes in the direction of James Potter.

"Just. Stop. It." James kept shouting as he deflected each hex. "I don't understand what your problem is." He was, however, not hexing Green back. It almost looked like as if he was trying to defuse situation.

When Green saw Claudia, he threw one last hex at James and disappeared down the corridor.

"I keep forgetting that I'm a prefect." Claudia sighed. "Can someone please remind me to give him detention later"? James chuckled. "Very mature of you, by the way. Not rising to this." She added.

"Just taking your advice, Avery." James smirked.

Claudia gave him a brief smile and then her eyes landed on Sirius. He was certainly not smiling.

"Let's go." Alice whispered, grabbed James by the arm and led him away. Claudia and Sirius were left alone. They stepped into an alcove to get away from the bustle of the corridor. Sirius squeezed Claudia in his arms the moment they were out of sight.

"I knew something like this would happen again." He hissed.

"Nothing happened." Claudia sighed. Sirius let go of her, brushed her hair away from her face and looked straight into Claudia's eyes.

"Two of your friends are unconscious in the hospital wing, Claude." He whispered.

"You don't know for sure it was Snape." She replied, half-heartedly.

"You're just saying that to try to keep me calm." Sirius scoffed. "And it's not working."

Claudia took a deep breath.

"Do you think that's what Snape has been brewing?" She said, in a barely audible whisper. "Some poison?"

"If he is…" Sirius frowned, his face was full of hatred again.

"Let's steal some of it." Claudia jumped in. "Find out for sure. Before jumping to conclusions."

Sirius stared at her face, his head and his heart were clearly engaged in a fight about what to say and do.

"Fine." He said finally. The head had won.

So, they watched Snape on the map until finally, in early June, he disappeared into the void again. They squeezed themselves into a gap between some pillars and waited. Claudia rested her head on Sirius' chest. But instead of holding her or kissing her hair like he always did, he winced with pain. Tiny drops of blood began appearing through his shirt. Without a word, Claudia unbuttoned it. There was a massive gash on his chest.

"What happened?" She asked, running her fingers around the wound. It was very fresh.

"James made me practice Quidditch with him, and got carried away." Sirius replied.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Claudia frowned. "I play the bloody game. No way you got this playing Quidditch, unless you were up against a team of werewolves."

"Fine." Sirius sighed, looking rather uncomfortable. "We snuck into the forest and got into a bit of trouble."

Claudia did not get a chance to ask any more questions. They heard the door open. Snape must have been leaving the cupboard. They waited for him to vanish in absolute silence. Claudia was not sure what to make of Sirius' excuse. She hated the idea that he would have secrets from her. Especially, because she told him all of hers.

"Looks like we got lucky." Sirius ysaid, when they got to the cupboard, and pointed towards a self-stirring cauldron that was standing in the corner.

Claudia took out a couple of vials and filled them with Snape's concoction.

"We need to make it look like an accident." She said when she was done. "He'd know some if it was missing."

"Let's blame it on Filch's bastard cat." Sirius hissed, walked up to the cauldron and tipped it over. He then submerged his fingers into the spillage and made very convincing trail of cat paw marks leading towards the door.

"That should do it." Claudia could not help but chuckle. "Let's get out of here."

Once they were safely in Slytherin's apartments, Claudia sniffed the mixture.

"It's not a poison I recognise." She whispered.

"Can you reverse-engineer it?" Sirius asked. "Work out what it's made of?"

"That's basically impossible." Claudia began to say. "Unless you have…"

They looked at each other.

"The alkahest." They said at the same time.

They spent the rest of the afternoon hatching a plan on how to make the alkahest, using Flamel's instructions. It was not going to be easy – their project was over and any out of hours use of the alchemy lab would be suspicious. And they only had few weeks till the end of term. This was going to be impossible.


	32. Chapter 32 (May Ball)

**The May Ball**

_Trigger warnings: references of past domestic violence, and unwanted attention._

Only few days had passed before Claudia found herself in the hospital wing again. But this time, for a happier reason. Eleanor was awake and talking, and even Lucy was improving. Claudia, however, had no idea where to look and what to say to her friend. The guilt was all-consuming, but she could not say sorry without recounting the whole story. Instead, she stood rigid by Eleanor's bed and let Alice do the talking. And as soon as she reasonably could, she made her way back to the Slytherin common room.

"Hey, boss." Chris greeted her the moment she entered the common room. "Why so miserable?"

"Lot on." Claudia mumbled. Her mind was spinning with anxious thoughts. She was anxious to see Lucy and Eleanor out of the hospital wing. She was nervous about what Snape was up to, and about her exams.

"No wonder." Chris laughed. "Just two weeks till the Ravenclaw-Gryffindor game. If only there was something we could do." He added with a groan.

"Yeah." Claudia sighed. She nearly forgot to add that to her list of worries. They really needed Ravenclaw to try and win that game. If they capitulated like Gryffindor did last year, it was all over. She just had to hope that James and Green did not make some sort of a deal to sink Slytherin again. Then, she remembered the altercation in the corridor. They certainly did not look like they were collaborating on anything.

"You two talking Quidditch?" Someone asked over Claudia's shoulder. It was Julius.

"You've been working with Green in alchemy." Claudia turned to him. "What's his problem with Potter?" She asked.

Julius bit his lip. There was silence. A very long silence.

"They're both in love with the same girl. Evans." He finally uttered, avoiding Claudia's eye-contact. She did not blame him - it was very weird for them to talk about things like this.

"That's good." Claudia replied. "Ravenclaw might bother and turn up for the game against Gryffindor."

"What do you mean?" Julius asked.

"Does Green think that if Potter was to win the Quidditch Cup, Evans would be more likely to date him?" She asked.

"I don't know…" Julius shrugged.

"Can you make him think that?" Claudia was getting bit impatient. She nearly forgot how tiring it was, having to explain herself all the time.

"We're kind of friends." Julius replied. "I don't want to manipulate him."

"Friends? Since when?" Claudia scoffed. Julius never had any friends outside of Slytherin.

"We bonded over things. Personal things…" He mumbled. "Anyway..." Julius added and vanished. Claudia was left standing in the middle of the common room with Chris.

"Well, that was awkward." Chris said. "Regulus is right. He still likes you."

"He does not." Claudia sneered. There was no way Julius could still like her after what she did to him. Even merely thinking back to their break-up made her cringe.

"If you say so." Chris chuckled.

Claudia was sick of Chris' mocking, so she made her way back to her dormitory for some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, it was not to be. All her very pretty and very pureblood roommates were there. Penelope, the blondest and richest of the four of them, was holding up a hideous golden dress, while Camille, Barbara and Mirabelle were staring at it in awe.

"I think you are really lucky, Nellie, that he asked you to the ball." Mirabelle sighed. Claudia rolled her eyes. That was what this was all about. The upcoming May Ball that all sixth and seventh years had to go to. It was all stupid. And why it was called a May Ball, despite taking place in June, Claudia did not know, and it infuriated her. "He's got really cute since last year. And he's on the team, of course!" Mirabelle added. Claudia was not quite sure which one of her teammates was dumb enough to ask Penelope to the ball. Must have been Rowle, although she would struggle to describe him as 'cute'.

"I agree." Camille pitched in. "You could do a lot worse than that."

"Speaking of worse…" Barbara smirked and turned her head towards Claudia. "Never understood why he went out with her in the first place. What could he possibly see in her?" All four of the girls laughed. Clearly, it was not Rowle who asked Penelope out after all. It was Julius.

"Who is she going with?" Penelope asked.

"I think she might be taking her broom." Mirabelle giggled.

"I don't think even a broom would go with her." Camille added and collapsed into a fit of laughter.

"Can't you all just go back to pretending I don't exist?" Claudia barked at them. "It's worked for everyone for the last six years. Why stop now?" She added sarcastically.

"Oh, she speaks." Penelope ridiculed her.

Claudia did not wait for any more taunting. She jumped into her bed, drew the curtains around it and cast a spell to drown out the noise. Just how much she wanted to tell them who she was really dating. Their stupid jaws would fall off. Then again, they would never leave her alone if they knew. She could hear the jibes already. She took out her books and grumpily stared at them until the clock struck three o'clock. But the breathing and snoring of her roommates made it hard to concentrate. She hated these girls. Absolutely hated them, from the bottom of her heart.

"I've got some good news about the alkahest." Sirius whispered at the end of the next day's Potions class. He and James stayed behind to talk to Claudia. "James' dad got a lab that we can use."

"Really?" Claudia asked.

"Sure you can." James frowned. "But only if you tell me why."

"Later." Claudia replied. There were still others in the classroom, and she was not about to reveal anything to James if there was a chance they were going to be overheard.

However, neither James nor Sirius moved, and they both continued to stare at her, looking rather sheepish.

"I will tell you eventually, just not now." Claudia sighed.

"That's not it." James grimaced and exchanged a look with Sirius. If Claudia did not know better, they look terrified.

"It's about the May Ball. I was going to go by myself…" Sirius began and scratched his head.

"But?" Claudia said slowly, her chest swirling with all sorts of unpleasant emotions.

"But if he takes Marlene." James jumped in. "Lily will come with me. Just as friends. But still, Lily will come with me!" He could barely contain himself.

"That's just great." Claudia mumbled and snapped shut the fastening of her bag.

"Claudia, please?" James pleaded with her. "Will you let him? They would be going as friends. There is nothing more to it."

"He can do whatever he wants." Claudia scoffed, doing her very best not to look at either of them. "I'm not going to the stupid ball." She added and stormed out of the classroom.

Half-way up the stairs, Sirius caught up and reached out for her hand. Claudia freed it angrily and folded her arms across her chest.

"Do you think I want to go with this girl?" Sirius whispered.

"I didn't hear you complain about it." Claudia scowled at him.

"You know full well I'd rather go with you." He replied, starting to look rather annoyed himself. "But it's not like you're going to let me."

"I said you can do whatever you want." She continued to glare at him.

"It was your idea to keep this secret!" Sirius barked. "You know how I feel about it."

"How many times do you want me to say that I don't care who you take to the ball?" Claudia barked back and run up the stairs and towards the Slytherin common room. She knew Sirius was right – keeping their relationship secret was her idea. But it still bothered her to no end that he would go to the May Ball with someone else.

Claudia barely spoke to Sirius for the next few days. Finally, the weekend of the decisive Quidditch game of the season had arrived. By the time the Slytherin team sat down in the stands to watch the game, Claudia's nerves were wrecked. But she needed not to worry - Ravenclaw tried, Green caught the snitch, and Slytherin won the Cup. It had been a long time since Slytherin common room witnessed a party quite like this. Butterbeer was flowing. Everyone was laughing. It reminded Claudia of the old times. The old times when she still had friends in Slytherin.

At the end of the night, Claudia found herself sitting on the sofa next to Julius. It was weird, they sat like this so many times when they were dating. But with everything that happened since they broke up, it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Thank you." She smiled at him.

"For what?" Julius asked.

"For not quitting the team." She whispered. "And for making sure Green didn't give them a free pass today." She poked him with her elbow.

"He didn't need any encouragement from me." Julius looked at her earnestly. "Love is a very strong incentive in itself." He added with a slight twinkle in his eye. Claudia hastily looked away. It could not have been. Regulus just could not have been right about this. She excused herself, grabbed the Cup, and run out of the common room. Just before she turned into the corridor leading to the girls' dormitories, Julius caught up with her.

"Please don't go." He whispered and grabbed Claudia's arm. "I want to celebrate with you." He added and leaned towards her. Her back was against a wall, and she had nowhere to go. He moved his face within an inch of hers.

"Let me go." Claudia replied and tried pushing him away. No matter how mad she was at Sirius, she would never betray him in this way.

"I still love you." Julius insisted, his eyes flaming with yearning. He was getting even closer, his grip on Claudia's arm was tightening. She reached into her pocket and managed to grip the end of her wand with the tips of her fingers. She stuck it between Julius' ribs.

"But I don't." Claudia hissed, pressed her wand deeper into his body and pushed him away again. "And I never have." She added icily.

Upon hearing those words, Julius froze. The fire in his eyes gave way to pure hurt.

Claudia pushed past him, disappeared into her dormitory, and crashed into bed. She was upset about what just happened and angry tears began rolling down her cheeks. Julius had no right to corner her like that. To expect anything from her. She looked at the Cup she was still holding. To ruin her night.

Claudia closed her eyes and sighed. The one person she wanted to celebrate with was mad at her. What was worse, it was all over some stupid ball that neither of them even cared about. She reached under her pillow and took out the two-way notebook.

_"I'm sorry."_ She scribbled.

_"I'm sorry too. I love you. Please, always remember that."_ A response appeared almost instantly.

_"I love you too."_ Claudia replied and a tiny smile appeared on her face.

_"I'm going to say no to James about the ball."_ Sirius wrote. Claudia hesitated. She wanted him to say that, but it did not feel right. Not anymore.

_"No, you can't. He can't take that and losing the cup."_ She replied.

_"I think you might be right. He shut his curtains on us and all we hear is the occasional sob."_ When she read that sentence, Claudia experienced a new emotion. She felt sorry for James Potter. Never in a million years she thought that would be something she was capable of.

_"I'll try not to mock him too much."_ She wrote.

_"I don't believe you…"_ Sirius replied. _"If you're done celebrating with your lot, do you want to meet up?"_ He added.

_"I would love to. But they are all still in the common room and I can't go back there."_ There was no way she would be able to get past them unseen. Especially if Julius was still around.

_"Is everything ok?"_ Sirius wrote. She pondered whether to tell him anything but decided not to. He would probably punch Julius' face out and their secret would have been out. Besides, nothing really happened, and she very much doubted Julius would try anything again. He looked broken.

_"Yeah. I just can't sneak out."_ She replied instead.

_"Goodnight then, my champion."_ Sirius wrote.

_"Night."_ She scribbled and shoved the notebook back under her pillow.

The May Ball was fast approaching, and Claudia was still determined to avoid it completely. But just as Alice almost convinced her to tag along with her fellow Gryffindors, Claudia was surprised to find that she too had a date. Well, it was not really a date. Remus asked her to go with him as friends. Claudia suspected that Sirius put him up to it - a claim that Remus strenuously denied.

What really cheered her up though was the fact that Madame Pomfrey's treatment had worked and both Eleanor and Lucy were now out of the hospital wing and seemingly on the mend. Claudia was slowly able to let go of her guilt and even asked Eleanor to help her alter one of her old dresses. It turned out to be the right call as Eleanor was very talented. Gone were the puffy sleeves, the ribbons, and the lacey frills. What was left was a sleek strapless dress in rich dark green colour. The silk corset fitted Claudia perfectly and the narrow skirt felt to just above her ankles. She even managed to find some flats that could pass as ball shoes. A crystal headband and a touch of lip gloss and the girls were good to go.

"You scrub up alright." Remus said with a smirk as they met by the entrance to the Great Hall. Claudia chuckled and curtsied. They entered the Hall together to find that everyone else was already at the table – James, Sirius, Peter, as well as Lily and two of her friends, Mary and Marlene. Mary was short, with brown hair and was wearing a somewhat sour expression on her face. She did not seem too happy to be the one who got stuck with Peter. Marlene was taller, blond, and athletic. She was the Gryffindor's back-up chased. Claudia was experiencing serious Leanne-shaped flashbacks. And she did not like it one bit.

There were two free seats between Sirius and Mary. Claudia had been to enough parties to know what the expected seating order was. She could hear her mother's voice screeching in her ear - you simply could not have two women or men sitting next to each other. With that, she sat down next to Sirius.

"That dress is pure evil." He whispered in her ear. Claudia chuckled but stopped when she caught James glaring at them. Sirius had clearly seen him too. "I had to swear we'll behave. Apparently tonight is about him convincing Lily that he isn't an idiot." Claudia laughed. James did clearly take her advice on board.

Claudia did her best to behave but it was basically impossible. Lily's friends were boring. The punch that was being served was stronger than it tasted and the more she drank, the harder it was to keep her hands to herself. Sirius was clearly suffering in exactly the same way – he kept fiddling with anything and everything on the table, and was louder, more exuberant and meaner by the minute. Peter seemed to be taking the brunt of it. If the experience of last year taught Claudia anything, it was that Sirius got like this when he was trying to hide how he really felt. And there were enough glances and brushes of his hand against her leg for Claudia to know precisely what feeling was consuming him.

"Tell Remus, I'll give him thousand galleons if he asks Marlene to dance with him." Sirius leaned towards Claudia and uttered. She could feel his breath on her shoulder. It took all her strength not to bury her fingers in his hair and kiss him.

"Sirius would like you to ask Marlene for a dance." Claudia turned to Remus and whispered. "He did mention giving you a thousand galleons, but I think he may have been exaggerating."

"I don't think he was." Remus smirked with a side-glance at Sirius. He clearly knew his friend well.

"Excuse me." Claudia said, more loudly and got up from the table. "I will be right back." She barely made it out of the Great Hall when Sirius caught up with her and grabbed her by the waist. Chuckling, they stumbled through the first door they had seen and found themselves in an empty classroom. Sirius pinned Claudia against the wall and kissed her.

"Never." He whispered between kisses. "So much self-control." He tugged on the back of her dress. "Have to." He was not making any sense whatsoever. "Hate it." He continued to try to find the fastening. But he could not, so he let out a frustrated growl and let go of the back of her dress. Instead, he slid his hands down to the top of Claudia's thighs and began gathering the fabric of her skirt with his fingers. Claudia could feel the hem tingling higher and higher up her legs. It was hard to believe that a feeling so subtle could make her insides swirl quite so much.

"You're too short for this." Sirius whispered as he finally managed to get her skirt all the way up, placed his palms on her bum, and pulled her towards him. Claudia did not need to ask what 'this' was. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again. Suddenly, she could feel a broad grin appear on his face.

"What are you plotting?" Claudia chuckled, as she pulled away. She knew this grin all too well. Sirius grabbed her by the hips and lifted her to sit on top of a little cabinet that they were standing next to. "I see. Not too short anymore." Claudia whispered, reached for Sirius' waistband and yanked him close to her. The desire that had been building up all evening was burning them both from the inside. They surrendered to it. Completely.

Sirius sank his hands into Claudia's back and groaned. She put her finger across his lips. They were not too far from the Great Hall and she did not particularly fancy getting caught in such compromising position. Sirius lowered his head and kissed her neck in an attempt to keep silent.

"Ouch." Claudia let out a whisper. "You bit me." He clearly lost all control in that moment.

Sirius laughed and crumbled on top of her, breathing heavily. They stayed like they were for a minute or so, as if they were frozen in time.

"I can't do this anymore." He whispered as he held her tight.

"If you're breaking up with me." Claudia replied and pushed him ever so slightly away. "This is not good timing."

"You know full well that's not it." Sirius sighed. He pulled up his trousers and hopped on the cabinet to sit next to her. "I mean the hiding." He added. Claudia knew it had been bothering him. But before she could say anything, Sirius continued. "You won't let me protect you. You won't be seen with me. I think you're ashamed that we're together." He whispered and dropped his head against the wall.

"I'm not ashamed of you. It's just. This is so much easier. We do what we want. There is no gossip. No jibes. Nobody is making fun of us for being together..." Claudia whispered. "I just worry what people are going to say and do. What my father is going to do. You know how dangerous he is." She added when Sirius looked far from convinced.

"Hiding is not the solution, Claude." Sirius replied. "We can't be doing this forever."

"I know." Claudia sighed. "But what can we do?"

"Do you remember what I said in Edinburgh?" Sirius asked. "You don't have to go back to your parents."

"Do you really think we could do it? Live together?" Claudia gave Sirius the tiniest of smiles.

"I really do." Sirius smiled back and put his arm around her shoulders. "I want us to wander around London. I want to pick you up from work and embarrass you in front of the Minister. But most of all, I want to wake up next to you every single morning." He added and brushed her hair with his fingers.

"That sounds like a good list." Claudia whispered and kissed him. "I want all of that too."

"Is that a yes?" Sirius asked, with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Alright." Claudia chuckled.

"You mean it?" Sirius double checked. "Really mean it?"

"Yeah, I really do." Claudia laughed and dropped her head on his shoulder. She felt hundred pounds lighter. "We really ought to get back, or our dates will get suspicious." She added with a smirk.

"James is going to kill me." Sirius exhaled. "He's taking this date too seriously. And it's not even a real one!"

"We don't have to tell anyone tonight." Claudia replied. "We've been hiding for six months. We can do it for one more day. You go first." She added and nudged him off the cabinet. He leaned back against it and kissed her again. It took him good few minutes to summon enough strength to actually leave.

Claudia gave Sirius a head-start, before setting off towards the Great Hall. She was about to turn the corner to the entrance hall, when she noticed that her dress was somewhat crumbled. She bent over and tried to brush it straight. Just as she was about to stand up again, she noticed a pair of feet standing barely a yard in front of her. She recognised those suede moccasins. This was not good. Not good at all.

"Miss Avery." The stern voice of Professor McGonagall echoed in the corridor. "Where are you returning from?"

"I've been to the bathroom." Claudia lied.

"The bathrooms are the other way." McGonagall said from behind her spectacles. She was not going to be that easily fooled.

"I got lost." Claudia said in a last-ditch attempt to save her skin.

"Detention, Miss Avery." McGonagall said shaking her head. "Now get back to the Great Hall before I send you to bed."

Claudia scuttered off back to the Great Hall, beside herself with anger.

"What happened?" Sirius whispered as she dropped to the chair next to him.

"McGonagall caught me and gave me detention." Claudia scowled.

"Oh. That's alright then." Sirius laughed.

"It's not alright." Claudia whispered angrily. "I've never had detention before!"

"You what? How…" Sirius said perhaps louder than he intended to, as few heads turned towards them. "How are we together?" He added whispering so quietly that even Claudia could barely hear him. He could not resist brushing his hand against her back. She could see in his eyes he would kiss her in a heartbeat if he could.

"I think we are going to go." Lily said suddenly from across the table. Claudia raised her head and saw that Lily was staring at her.

"Can I walk you back?" James asked hopefully.

"I don't think so." Lily replied and stomped off into the crowd, her friends at her heels. The band began to play a much rowdier tune.

"I cannot believe you two!" James shouted over the music. It was now so loud that Claudia could barely hear him. "One evening! That's all I asked. But you vanish and come back looking like…" He gestured at them angrily, clearly unable to find the right word.

"Like what?" Sirius laughed, trying to sound innocent.

"Your tie is missing. Your collar is all smudged with lipstick. It doesn't take a genius to work out where you've been." James continued to yell. Claudia looked at Sirius and chuckled. James was right. "And I don't know why you're laughing. You look like a right mess too."

"I don't." Claudia tried defending herself and tugged her hair behind her ears.

"I think he's referring to the bite mark." Sirius chuckled and made a circle on Claudia's shoulder with his finger. "I'm sorry about that by the way." He whispered in her ear.

"I very much doubt that." Claudia replied. Their faces were practically touching. What harm could one kiss do, Claudia thought. Lily was gone anyway.

"Stop it!" James roared and interrupted her train of thought. "I kept my mouth shut for you! And this is how you repay me. All I wanted was to show her that I care. That I'm not the dumbass she thinks I am." James did not, however, got to say anymore.

"Sorry." A red head emerged from behind him. "I forgot something." James did not even look at Lily. He stood by the table completely frozen. Lily grabbed her handbag from the table and disappeared again. But just before she did, she turned back to look at James and blushed.

"Oh shit." Claudia mumbled to herself. Lily did like him back. They were really going to be intolerable.

"Do you think it worked?" Sirius asked her. "I think it worked." He had also clearly spotted that look that Lily just gave James. Claudia started nodding vigorously.

"What worked?" James barked.

"She was impressed with you yelling at us like that." Claudia replied.

"Extremely impressed." Sirius laughed.

James collapsed into his chair. The corner of his mouth twitched and then he broke into a huge grin.

"He is going to be unbearable now." Sirius sighed and downed another glass of the punch.

She let Sirius walk her back to the dungeons, even if they did not have the invisibility cloak on them. She could see on Sirius' face how happy he was. Finally, they will get to be together in the open.

Claudia was not the only student that got caught sneaking back to the ball that night. The following morning, Professor McGonagall gave a stern speech at breakfast. There were so many detentions handed out during the ball that the Headmaster had decided to cancel it for good. Apparently, they should all be feeling ashamed of depriving future generations of an opportunity to celebrate the end of the school year. Claudia could feel her ears burning. But before she could contemplate her (lack of) shame any further, an owl dropped a note into her lap. It was from Professor Dumbledore. He wanted to see her this morning, at her earliest convenience.

Claudia set off for his office immediately. But the closer she got, the more she was panicking. Was getting caught at the ball really such a transgression? They could not really prove that she did anything wrong. But then again, Dumbledore knew about her and Sirius. What if he figured something out and they were going to get punished? Would that be enough to get them both expelled? Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. What if Dumbledore found out that they sneaked out of school for her Birthday? That would definitely be enough to send them both packing. No final year in Hogwarts, no NEWTs, no job. The thought of that was too horrible to even contemplate.

When she finally arrived in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore face gave nothing away. He gestured towards a chair and Claudia obliged. When she put her hands on her knees, she noticed just how much they were shaking.

"I've heard that you got the placement at the Ministry of Magic." Dumbledore began. Claudia merely nodded. She was too nervous to say anything. The lump in her throat would not let her. "I need your help." The Headmaster added.

"What?" Claudia managed to mumble. That was not something she was expecting.

"I understand that you will work in the Minister's Private Office." Dumbledore began to explain. Seeing that Claudia nodded again, he continued. "Something strange had happened to the previous Principle Private Secretary. I need you to find out what and why."

"Right." Claudia whispered. Suddenly, it was all clear to her – the unexpected invitation to the interview, the ease with which she got the role. It was all a set up. "You want me to spy for you?" She asked, somewhat more sharply than she intended.

"That's not how I would put it." Dumbledore smiled. "But that's the essence of it, yes."

"Anything else I need to know?" Claudia added. She was annoyed a little for being manipulated in this way, but also found the prospect of spying for Dumbledore just a little exciting.

"Not for the time being." Dumbledore replied.

"Alright then." Claudia said and began to get up.

"Actually, one more thing." Dumbledore said. Claudia dropped back into the chair. "I know one thing for sure. Your father is important in all of this. I need you to keep an eye on him. Go home for the summer, keep your head down, find out what he is up to." Claudia froze. That was her perfect summer gone, in an instant. Seeing the uncertainty on Claudia's face, Dumbledore continued. "This is very important, Miss Avery. Your father is the key to understanding the whole conspiracy. And you are the only person who can help."

"OK." Claudia sighed, got up and took a few steps towards the door. She was about to burst into tears and really did not want to do that in front of the Headmaster. It was then that she realised just how much she did not want to go back to her parents' house. She got so close. So close to being truly happy.

"It goes without saying that your parents probably should not know certain things about your personal life." She heard Dumbledore add significantly. She barely looked at him to acknowledge what he just said and walked out of there as fast as she could.

Without thinking, she run up the Astronomy Tower and crashed to the floor. Dumbledore's words were ringing in her ears. She was the only one who could help. She was the only one who could figure out what her father was up to.

Instinctively, Claudia reached into her pocket and took out the French Resistance insignia she bought last summer at that memorial. She had been carrying it around for good luck, and to remind herself what she ought to fight for. If these people could sacrifice their lives to stop an unspeakable evil, how could she even contemplate not doing her bid because she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend? It was so pathetic. But she just could not stop herself thinking that. The thought of having to spend each night in the room she hated and surrounded by the people she despised, rather than in the arms of the person she loved the most in the whole world made her want to throw up.

Claudia heard someone coming up the steps to the tower. She dried her eyes, unsure at what point she started crying.

"I'm not sure I like that stupid map of yours." Claudia smiled through the tears, when she saw it was Sirius who was climbing up the stairs. "I can't hide from you."

"What happened?" Sirius asked and sat down next to her.

Claudia recounted her conversation with Dumbledore.

"You aren't seriously contemplating this." Sirius said, leaving Claudia unsure whether that was a question or a statement.

"I have no choice. They have to be stopped." Claudia replied.

"You cannot do this." Sirius implored her. "It's dangerous."

"You would do the same thing, if you were in my shoes." Claudia snaped back at him. "What am I supposed to do? Just sit on the side-lines and let others do the hard work? They are my family. This is my responsibility." She added, getting increasingly agitated.

Sirius just stared at her in complete silence. Then, he reached for a cigarette. She could see his hand tremble slightly as he brought it to his face and lit it up.

"Since when do you smoke?" She asked.

"Since I can't cope with all the shit that's happening." Sirius exhaled and leaned back against the wall. "I fucking hate this plan."

"I know you do." Claudia said. "I'm kind of glad that you do too." She added with a smile.

Sirius smiled back at her, reached into her palm, and took the French Resistance insignia she was still holding onto.

"I read your book." He whispered. "The one you have me for Christmas."

"So, you understand why I have to do this." Claudia uttered.

Sirius sighed and fiddled with the insignia. He looked like he was fighting something on the inside. Finally, he turned towards Claudia and locked his eyes with hers.

"Claude, I need to know something." He began. The tone of his voice was gloomy yet determined. "Please be honest with me. Is your mother still…" Sirius swallowed. "Is she still hurting you?"

Claudia looked to the floor. Sirius must have remembered what he saw nearly three years ago at his parents' party – Cassandra taking out her frustrations on her then fourteen-year-old daughter after she left that gazebo in pieces. She wanted to lie and say no. She did not want him to know for sure. She was too old for this. It was embarrassing.

Sirius put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head up. He moved his own face within couple of inches of hers and looked into her eyes. His beautiful grey eyes were also filling up with tears.

"It's nothing…" Claudia began to say. "She usually takes it out on the house-elf." She attempted to laugh.

"I'm begging you. No jokes." Sirius implored her. "Be honest with me."

Claudia stared at him for a good minute.

"The last time I saw her, she tried." She whispered and watched Sirius' face twist with anger. "But I fought back. She won't try again. Not now I'm seventeen." Sirius pulled Claudia towards him and held her tight in his arms. "I should have stopped her years ago. It was so easy to do." Claudia added in the most silent of whispers, and felt the tear rolling down her face. She was not entirely sure whose tear that was.

"This is not on you. This is entirely your mother's fault." Siris whispered back. "She's vile." She did not expect him to put it quite this way. To guess that was how she felt. But it was exactly what she needed to hear.

"You know what it's like, don't you?" She asked. That was the only explanation for Sirius' reaction. He must have had the same experience.

"My mother used the _Cruciatus_ curse on me once." Sirius uttered.

"What?" Claudia gasped. Whatever her mother did to her, she never did that. Using an unforgivable curse on your child. It was too horrible to even contemplate.

"I was thirteen… Got too big just to be slapped around." Sirius replied.

Claudia had absolutely no idea what to say. She was never good at saying things that made people feel better. Instead, she just placed her head on his chest and hugged him as tight as she could. They sat on the top of the tower, watching dark clouds fly over the grounds. The wind was picking up. A storm must have been coming.

"I have to do this." Claudia whispered finally. "For both of us. For everyone that we love."

"I get it. But I still hate it." Sirius said after a long pause. Claudia gave him a brief smile. "It's a shit world that we have to live in." He added with deep melancholy in his voice.

"I know." Claudia sighed.

"I'm going to walk around that house every night to make sure you're ok." Sirius sounded more resolute now.

"I know." Claudia knew she would never be able to convince him otherwise.

"And if anyone as much as touches you…" Sirius said. His nostrils were getting wider. He was angry again. Claudia knew full well what he was going to do if anyone hurt her. It scared her a little.

"I know." She whispered.


End file.
